Substitute Heavenly Guardian (reupload)
by shiroblade2
Summary: What if Toshiro Hitsugaya was the main protagonist of Bleach? Chapter 35: Infiltrating Hueco Mundo.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This is a reupload of a story I started a number years ago and left unfinished after 10 chapters. I had meant to come back, but things came up, and the email address I used at the time no longer exists, so I had to make a new account to continue the story. This story is meant to explore the idea of what would happen if Toshiro Hitsugaya was the main character of Bleach instead of Ichigo Kurosaki. I have left the original chapters as they were originally uploaded._

"I'm going to see the new Godzilla movie this weekend! Wanna come?"

"Of course! I've been trying to get my parents to let me see it for weeks now! Maybe they'll let me go if it's with a friend."

"Let's get to my house! I've got the latest Monster Hunter!"

"Man, that stuff never gets old!"

"Did you read that issue? That manga's _terrible_ now. I'm not buying another issue."

"I'm going to stick with it for a while. Maybe it'll get better again. Remember how amazing the first arc was?"

The students filed haphazardly out of the middle school, talking excitedly with their friends. When it appeared that the entrance had emptied one final figure emerged.

Shorter than all of his classmates, with his head held low, the boy had a shockingly white head of hair.

It was not Toshiro Hitsugaya's hair, however, that was the strangest thing about him. Any observer would have thought that unlike the other children, Toshiro was walking alone. He was not.

In fact, a girl was talking into his ear, speaking words of gossip that were beginning to drive him mad.

"And then Lisa-"

"I don't freaking care!" Toshiro yelled, finally at the breaking point. "Why do you keep hanging around me?"

"Because you're the only one who can see or hear me. Who else can I talk to?"

The girl, Makoto, had been one of Toshiro's classmates until her death in a car accident two months earlier. Unfortunately, her love for spying on others and telling stories about everything she saw had not died with her.

Toshiro pulled some of his hair in frustration as Makoto continued to recount a conversation she had heard in the girl's bathroom.

For as long as he could remember, Toshiro had been able to see ghosts, those beings who had chains sticking out of their chests who had not yet passed on. It was not an ability he was fond of showing off. People thought of him as freaky enough as it is.

Each year his teachers insisted that he stop bleaching his hair so white, not realizing that it was just his natural hair color. And for some reason, the other children always seemed afraid of him.

There was no reason for anyone to fear him. Toshiro was short even for his age and had skipped two years of school, making him a midget compared to his classmates.

Toshiro was halfway home when Makoto finally stopped talking.

"Oh, thank god." Toshiro said, hoping to savor at least a few minutes of silence.

 **Boom!**

A building in front of Toshiro collapsed in a heap, as if a cannonball had hit it. All around, people began to scream and panic, but none more so than Makoto.

She screamed in such terror because she could see the cause of the destruction, a green, bug-like monster, two stories tall and wearing a strange, white mask.

"Such spirit energy." it breathed. "Let me taste you..."

Toshiro was frozen in place. He could see the beast as well as Makoto could, and was almost as frightened. "That... thing... can...talk...?"

As the monster bared down on the frozen youngsters, a figure in black appeared between it and its prey. The newcomer was a teenage girl with black hair and a long katana. Without a word, she stabbed the monster through its mask. The creature dissipated in front of their eyes.

* * *

"You're late!" Toshiro's father, Ishin Hitsugaya yelled when Toshiro had finally made it home.

"Sorry." Toshiro muttered, looking down.

"'Sorry?' Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Ishin pointed to the table in the kitchen. "You made your sisters sick with worry!"

Toshiro looked up at the table. Sure enough, the nine year old twins Karin and Yuzu looked like they were about to have an anxiety attack.

"Um," Yuzu said, "dinners getting cold, Toshiro. I can heat it up again if you want."

Toshiro started to head upstairs. "No. That's all right. I'm not hungry."

"Hold it!" Ishin yelled. "Are you going to bother to explain why you're so late tonight? It's not like you."

Toshiro spun around. "A building almost fell on me, okay?"

Ishin and the twins stared open mouthed. "What?"

Toshiro turned around again to go to his room. "Turn on the TV. It's gotta be on the news."

* * *

A half hour later, Ishin knocked on Toshiro's door.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Toshiro said, rolling over in bed so that he faced the other way.

Ishin put on his best daddy smile. "We did check the news. You had a really tough day."

"You could say that."

"Do you feel up for school tomorrow?"

"I'll see in the morning."

"Okay. Get a good night's sleep." Ishin turned to leave.

Toshiro rolled over again. "Dad?"

"Yes?" Ishin asked, stopping at the door.

"Tell Karin and Yuzu I'm sorry for worrying them. That's the last thing I wanted to do."

"Of course. Pleasant dreams."

* * *

Toshiro stood in the middle of a dark, frozen plain. A loud voice thundered from the distance, bringing with it a great wind. Toshiro held his arms in front of his face to shield his eyes.

"I can't hear you? What are you saying?"

The voice thundered louder and the wind increased in intensity. The gust knocked Toshiro over.

"No!"

Toshiro sat up, covered in sweat.

'I thought those dreams had stopped. Why would they start again now?'

Toshiro looked out of his window. For just an instant, he thought he saw a dark outline of a figure running across a nearby roof, sword in hand.

He rubbed his forehead. 'Monsters, girls in black with magic swords. Wasn't seeing dead people enough?'

 _One week later_

Toshiro blinked as the bell rang to signal the end of the class. He had taken in almost none of the lesson. Hastily, he gathered his things to leave.

"Would you please stay behind for a few minutes, Toshiro?" the teacher asked.

After the other students had left, Toshiro went up to the teacher's desk.

"What's been happening with you these last few days, Toshiro?" she asked. "You've been dozing off in class a great deal lately."

"I'm not sleeping well."

"Not sleeping well?"

"Since the accident last week I've had this same nightmare every night."

"Hmmm. I understand. You should speak to your father about going to therapy is this lasts too much longer. I'd hate for one of my top students to start failing over something that's not his fault."

* * *

Again, Toshiro shot up as he fell in the icy plain.

"What...is...that...voice?" he breathed.

Toshiro again looked out the window. Over the previous week he had not seen any monsters or people in black, and that night the moon was full and very beautiful.

But it was overshadowed by a sudden blackness. Toshiro gaped as a figure passed through his window, over his bed, and landed on his floor without making a sound.

"Who-what are you?" Toshiro stammered. "Are you a burglar?" He almost froze when the figure's hand grasped the hilt of a sword sheathed at her side.

'It's the same girl from last week!' he realized.

The girl did not seem to hear him. She closed her eyes in concentration. "Yes. That power is close."

Toshiro growled in frustration as he leapt out of his bed and shoved the girl to the floor. "I asked who you are, burglar!"

The girl moaned then looked up at Toshiro.

"You _pushed_ me."

"You broke into my room!"

"You can see me?"

The stupidity the girl showed was beginning to get to Toshiro.

"Of course I can see you! You're solid!"

The girl rose, dusting off her kimono. "Humans aren't supposed to be able to see us."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed. "You're not...human?"

She turned to him, smirking slightly. "No. I'm a Shinigami, a god of death."

Toshiro frowned as he listened to the girl's explanation of what Shinigami were: beings from a place called Soul Society whose mission it was to shepherd lost souls there and cleanse corrupted ones called hollows.

Her explanation was not helped by the pictures she drew to accompany them, pictures in which all characters were modeled after Chappy the Bunny.

"And why would you be willing to tell a human child all of this?" he asked incredulously. "You don't go around just telling 'humans' this stuff."

"That is true. I was unprepared for finding a human that could see me."

Toshiro looked at the nearest drawing of a happy Chappy character. "You _really_ expect me to take you seriously as a god of death?"

The girl glared at him. "You want proof, little boy? Here." She raised a finger.

"Bakudo Number 1! Sai!"

Toshiro's arms moved of their own accord and came together behind his back. He fell forward, hitting his chin very hard. He groaned as he rose, trying to pull his arms apart.

"Don't bother resisting." the Shinigami said with an air of triumph. "No human can break a bakudo spell. You only risk injuring yourself."

"Why you-" Toshiro growled, but the Shinigami raised a hand to cut him off.

"I've wasted too much time with you. I've got to get back to tracking that hollow I was after." She turned around. "Something's interfering with my senses tonight. That's why I came here-"

She spun around again as they heard a loud crash from downstairs.

"What's that?" Toshiro yelled. "What's happening to my house?"

The Shinigami ignored him. "Looks like I found my hollow." She raced out of the room. 'But's reiatsu is so strong; how did I not sense it before?'

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, facing the front door-or rather, the street through a giant hole in the wall where the front door should have been.

'The hollow was attracted to this house just like I was.' she realized. 'But why?'

A series of crashes behind the Shinigami caused her to reflexively move to the side, making room for Toshiro to painfully finish his roll down the stairs. His arms were still bound by her spell.

"Stay back." the Shinigami warned.

"What...is that thing?" Toshiro asked, finally getting a look at what was causing the destruction of his house.

In the street stood another monster, not as large as the one from a week earlier, but still a good sixteen feet tall. It hunched over like a thin frog and had a fish shaped mask covering its face.

"It's the hollow I was talking about." the Shinigami said.

They looked up as they heard a scream from the direction of the hollow. It was holding a young girl in one of its clawed hands.

"Karin!" Toshiro screamed, struggling harder against the binding spell.

'The girl must've come downstairs for a late night snack.' the Shinigami thought. 'I've got to kill it before it eats her!'

She began to draw her blade, but a small disturbance of spirit energy to her right distracted her. She turned her head to see Toshiro, his face red as he put all of his strength into freeing his arms.

"Stop that! At this rate you're going to kill yourself!"

But Toshiro did not stop. He screamed louder, and the air around him began to glow.

'Impossible! No human can break a kido spell!'

The Shinigami was proven wrong as, with a final yell and an impossibly loud sound of cords snapping, Toshiro's arms burst from their restraints, freeing him completely from the spell.

Though her attention should have been completely on the hollow, the Shinigami just stared at Toshiro, stunned.

'How can a human have that much spirit energy? He's what was clouding my senses. He must be!'

"Stop!" she yelled as Toshiro rushed at the hollow. It swatted him away like a fly. He bounced along the street, somehow avoiding serious injury.

"I found you." the hollow said through its mask. "The great source of spirit energy. You'll be a much tastier morsel than this little girl."

Toshiro screamed again as it dropped Karin, but the Shinigami appeared out of thin air to catch the unconscious child.

Toshiro's relief was short lived, as the hollow lunged at him mouth first, attempting to eat him.

Toshiro covered his eyes, believing death to be imminent. He felt the hollow's breath, heard a terrible crunch-

-but felt the exact same amount of pain as before.

Toshiro lowered his arms. The Shinigami stood in front of him, having blocked the hollow's attack with her own body. Her sword had cut part of its mouth, but many of its teeth had torn deeply into her flesh.

The hollow, surprised by the sudden wound, pulled away as the Shinigami collapsed to the ground, bleeding terribly. She struggled to rise, but could barely manage sitting up. She gave Toshiro a grave look.

"I'm too injured to fight anymore. I'm afraid it's up to you, boy."

"What can I do?" Toshiro asked frantically.

"I can give you part of my powers. That should be enough to allow you to defeat the hollow." She held out her sword.

Toshiro stood up, matching her seriousness. "What do you want me to do?"

"Stab yourself with my sword."

"What happens then?"

The hollow roared, and the Shinigami winced in pain from looking at it too quickly.

"You'll either get my powers or you'll die! Hurry and make your choice! It's coming! Do you want to save your family or not!"

Toshiro looked at Karin lying on the ground. "All right, Shinigami."

The hollow began to lunge at Toshiro again.

The Shinigami smiled. "My name is not Shinigami; it is Rukia Kuchiki."

Toshiro gripped her sword. "Toshiro Hitsugaya."

He plunged the blade into his chest just before the hollow reached him.

The street was bathed in a blinding white light. When it faded, one of the hollow's hands had been severed completely.

Rukia Kuchiki, now wearing a white kimono instead of a black one, looked at her hands in shock.

'I only meant to give him half of my power, but somehow he took it all!'

She looked at Toshiro, who now wore a black kimono just like hers. His head was bowed down and his right arm was outstretched, gripping the hilt of a sword.

'That Zanpakuto is huge!' Rukia thought. 'It's longer than he is tall!'

The sword was different from Rukia's in more ways than just its length. It had a distinctive four pointed guard and a blue handle.

"I'm going to kill you for threatening my family." Toshiro hissed, his head still lowered.

He leapt into the air and brought his sword down onto the hollow's head. It screamed as he split its skull open. At first blood gushed everywhere, but then the hollow and its blood began to evaporate into nothingness.

Rukia continued to stare in awe.

'Whatever you are, Toshiro Hitsugaya, you are no normal human.'


	2. Chapter 2

"Toshiro!"

Toshiro groaned into his pillow. "Damn it, dad. Need more sleep."

"Toshiro! Get up! Look what happened outside!"

"Out...side?"

Toshiro's head shot up as memories from the previous night flooded into him.

'No. Please let have all been a dream!'

But when he got downstairs the hole in the front of the house was still there. His sisters and father were standing in the front yard, inspecting the damage to the house.

"Look at this! A truck hit the house last night? It's a miracle none of us were hurt!" he said angrily.

"More like a miracle none of us woke up." Karin said dryly. "So the driver got away scott free."

'She doesn't remember almost being eaten?' Toshiro wondered. 'Could I have really just imagined it? I've been having strange dreams lately.'

* * *

Two girls, one with short, black hair, the other with long, orange hair, left their second period class together.

"Did you remember to bring a lunch, Orihime?" the one with the short hair asked.

"Uh huh." Orihime answered cheerfully. "I made it special! Fish shaped sweet bean bread and ramen with wasabi and honey! Do you want some, Tatsuki?"

Tatsuki cringed at the thought of Orihime's cooking before regaining her smile. "I'll pass today."

"But it's delici-ohh!"

Orihime walked into someone and was knocked to the ground in mid-sentence. "Owww."

Toshiro blinked. "Oh. It's you, Orihime."

Tatsuki was in his face. "That's all you've got to say! You're the one who knocked her down, you little sleazebag! Maybe if you picked your head up once in a while instead of staring at your toes all the time you'd be able to see where you're going!"

"Um, yeah." Toshiro stuttered. "Sorry about that. I've got a lot on my mind right now. Are you ok?"

"Yeah." Orihime said.

Toshiro bent down and offered his hand to Orihime. "Here."

Orihime did not take Toshiro's hand. She stared at it as if in wonder for several seconds before jumping to her feet. "No thank you! I'm just fine, really!" She began babbling indecipherably as Toshiro and Tatsuki stared at her nonplussed before turning around ad running in the other direction.

"What's with her?" Toshiro asked.

"You've got white hair and a permanent scowl. It scares people off."

Toshiro turned to head to class himself. "Tell me something I _don't_ know."

'But,' Tatsuki thought as she watched him go, 'how did a midget like him knock down someone so much bigger than he is?'

* * *

Toshiro was still lost in thought over the previous night, even as he entered the third period classroom.

'Even if it wasn't a dream, I shouldn't have to worry about it. I haven't seen monsters like that before, so they can't be all that common. That girl probably just went back to that soul place she was talking about.'

"Hey, Toshiro." A deep voice said.

"Hey, Chad." Toshiro answered the giant of a teenager.

"Keigo said a truck hit your house last night. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Thank god no one was hurt."

"Yes." Chad said. "That is good. Do you need any help cleaning up?"

"No. We're getting professionals to do that. Our house is a clinic too, so the insurance covers it."

"So everything's worked out, Toshiro?"

Toshiro's eyes widened at the high pitched voice behind him. He slowly turned around.

"Hello." A short, black haired girl in a school uniform who looked far too familiar said. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to meet the top student in the class."

Toshiro raised a trembling finger. "Y-you!"

"Her family just moved to Karakura town this week." Chad said. "It's an odd time, but she had no choice but to transfer here."

Rukia held her hand out to Toshiro. He looked at it and had to struggle not to scream in terror.

Written in ink on her palm was the sentence _'Make a scene and you're dead.'_

"Um," Toshiro stuttered, trying to find something to say, "I'm actually tied for top."

Rukia giggled. "So modest!"

Toshiro shuddered. 'God, that high pitched voice she's using is creepy.'

* * *

After school ended Toshiro was not surprised to see Rukia waiting for him outside.

"What are you doing here? I thought you went back to where you came from?"

"Idiot." Rukia said, using the deeper voice she had the previous night. "Only Shinigami can go to the Soul Society, and right now _you_ have my powers."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "So you want them back? Fine. I don't know how to use them anyway. I thought they were gone after last night."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Eventually my powers will return," she said seriously, "but until then _you're_ the only Shinigami in this area."

Toshiro grimaced. "I'm not going to like where this is going, am I?"

"You're going to have to take over my duties and destroy the hollows that appear in Karakura town."

"No."

"What?" Rukia asked with venom in her voice.

"No _way_ am I fighting monsters like that again! Once is quite enough for a lifetime!"

"That's absurd! Last night you fought magnificently!"

"Last night my family was being attacked! I had no choice!" Toshiro walked past her. "Sorry, but I can't help you."

"We'll see." Rukia whispered, pulling a red glove embroidered with a white skull out of her pocket and putting it on her hand. She leapt at Toshiro, pushing the back of his head.

Toshiro fell down, and something heavy fell on top of him.

"Ugh. What is this thing?" Toshiro rolled over to push the object off of him.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaarg!" Toshiro screamed. Rukia pulled the small, white haired body off of him.

"Don't act so shocked. It's just an out of body experience."

"M-m-me-my b-body."

"You can't fight hollows in a human body, Toshiro. I thought you knew that by now."

Toshiro looked at the version of himself that was standing. It, or he-he was not sure-was wearing the black kimono he had worn when he had killed the hollow in front of his house.

"Come on, _Shinigami."_ Rukia said, pulling Toshiro along with her by the arm.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Rukia took out a cell phone and looked at it. "We're close now."

"Close to _what?"_

"Here."

They stopped at the entrance to a small park.

"What's so special about this park?"

"I received orders about a hollow appearing near here."

"A hollow!?" Toshiro began to back away. "I told you, I'm not doing that!"

"Heeeellllllp!"

Toshiro and Rukia turned towards the source of the scream. A young boy with a chain attached to his chest was from running away from a cloud of dust that had erupted in the park.

Out of the dust came the hollow. This one was also monstrous in size and had the body of a scorpion.

Toshiro leapt over the fence at the edge of the park, bringing his hand to the hilt of his sword.

"Stop!"

Toshiro looked behind him.

"What do you mean, 'stop?!' That kid's going to be eaten!"

"He's a complete stranger, not part of your family."

"That doesn't mean I can't do anything when he's being attacked right in front of me!"

"Don't be selfish!" Rukia yelled.

"What?" Toshiro asked, taken aback.

"Shinigami must treat all souls equally." She said seriously. "Wanting to save only those you see in front of you, this line of work is not that convenient."

Toshiro turned back to the boy and the hollow.

"Don't save him!"

"You…" Toshiro growled.

"If you want to save that child now, be prepared to save all other spirits in the future. Be prepared to chase hollows wherever they may be, and even to sacrifice yourself to destroy them!"

Toshiro lowered his head, his hands shaking.

"Now choose, Toshiro!"

Toshiro screamed leaping at the hollow and slicing its head open with an overhead slash.

The boy began to back away, his terror transferred to Toshiro.

"Don't be so afraid, kid." Toshiro said. "I don't bite like those things."

"Hey, Rukia!"

"What is it?" Rukia asked, joining him.

"How do I send this kid to the Soul Society?"

"Touch the bottom of the handle of your Zanpakuto to his forehead. That will initiate the konso."

"Right." Toshiro bent down, and the boy reflexively pulled away. "Look, kid, do you want to be attacked by monsters again or not?"

The boy shook his head.

"Then let me help you. I can send you to a place where there are no monsters. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded. "I think so."

Toshiro placed the handle of his sword on the boy's forehead, and the boy began to glow. Toshiro sighed as the body disappeared completely.

"So," Rukia asked when they were alone, "are you prepared?"

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no?'" Rukia spat, aghast. Toshiro glared at her.

"Maybe it is selfish of me to only save those people I see in trouble, but you're 'choice' is just sadistic! I'm not going to be bullied into being a superhero! I'm only eleven years old, for crying out loud!"

Rukia looked down. "That is true. You are far younger than any Shinigami alive. Perhaps I was too forceful. But the hollows are still out there, and still need to be destroyed."

Toshiro began to walk away. "That's not my problem. I'm gonna get my body and go home."

* * *

Across town, a ghost watched over his little sister, smiling as she answered the questions on her history assignment correctly. He turned to leave as she shut the lights off to go to bed.

He had been so afraid of how she would cope without him

 _"Please don't leave me! Please!"_

But she was doing well, and had made friends since his death.

Outside, he sang to himself a sing he had loved while he was alive.

"Come stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand, hold it ti-iiigh!"*

Two monsters had appeared behind him and grabbed him with their tentacles. He screamed and struggled as they reeled him in closer.

"Wait." A deep voice behind them said.

The two monsters turned around. "What is it, boss?"

"I believe it would be better if _I_ eat this one."

The two monsters let the ghost go, and when he saw what stood behind them, he could do nothing but scream.

"Noooooooooooooo!"

Rukia continued to follow Toshiro after school the next day.

"You're gonna keep hounding me until I say 'yes;' is that it?" he asked.

"You bet."

"Figures."

They continued walking in an awkward silence. "Hey, Rukia, I didn't think about this yesterday because I was in so much shock, what with being pulled out of my body and all, but how come all of my classmates and teachers can see you? I thought you Shinigami were supposed to be invisible to most people."

"We are. I'm in a gigai right now."

"A gigai?"

"It's a faux body that weakened Shinigami enter until their strength replenishes."

 **Thud!**

"What was that noise?" Rukia asked cautiously.

"That sounded like someone got hit by a car!" Toshiro said, running to the end of the block. An orange haired girl was lying in the middle of the road.

"Orihime!" Toshiro yelled.

"Owwww." The girl said, starting to get up.

"Orihime, what happened?"

"Oh," Orihime said, "it's you, Toshiro."

"Did you just get hit?"

Orihime thought for a second. "Um, yeah. Probably."

"Probably?" Toshiro asked incredously. "Did you hit your head?"

"Oh, no! I'm fine, really!"

"Are those tire tracks?"

Toshiro and Orihime looked at the place Rukia was analyzing with an intense expression. A pattern of dark bruises had formed on Orihime's left leg.

"Oh. I guess."

"Why don't you come over to my place and get that checked out at the clinic?" Toshiro suggested. "That looks serious."

Orihime put her hands up. "No! It's not, really! I'm all right! Really, I am!" She turned and ran off.

"She seemed scared of your family's clinic." Rukia observed.

"More like scared of walking with me." Toshiro corrected. "Half the grade's scared stiff of me."

"Why?"

Toshiro shrugged. "Who knows? I guess it's cause I seem cold and have funny hair."

"That's not an explanation for fear."

"Is there an explanation for fear?"

Rukia hesitated before answering. "Sometimes."

Toshiro resumed his walk home.

"So you don't have any friends at school?" Rukia asked.

Toshiro stopped and thought. "Not really. There's Chad, but I wouldn't call him a friend really."

"What makes Chad different?"

"He isn't afraid of me or resentful. Since he came last year I haven't been beaten up like I used to be."

"You were beaten?"

"Yeah." Toshiro looked at his toes. "It was pretty bad, too. I took karate to try to defend myself, but one undersized ten year old against several twelve and thirteen year olds-I never stood a chance. But the first time Chad saw me being attacked he put his foot down about bullying, and people basically stopped because they were even more afraid of Chad than of me, and he can defend himself."

"So why didn't the two of you become friends?"

Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. We just didn't."

* * *

That night, Orihime answered the doorbell to find Tatsuki bearing her mother's beef stew.

"Yum!" Orihime exclaimed.

"My mother and I worry about what you eat here all by yourself."

"I eat plenty!"

"It's what you eat plenty of that worries us."

* * *

Toshiro sat on his bed, flipping through his literature textbook.

"Go out looking for those things. Who does she think I am?"

Beep…beep…beep…

"Huh? Is that a cell phone?"

"Toshiro!"

"Whaaaaa!?"

Rukia had opened Toshiro's closet, from the _inside._ She was dressed in a set of yellow pajamas.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" he yelled.

"No time! There's a hollow coming this way!"

"A hollow!?"

Rukia put on red her glove and pushed Toshiro out of his body just in time. A gigantic hand appeared out of the wall and attempted to grab him.

Toshiro drew his sword as the body of the hollow followed the hand. It had a humanoid head and torso, but its lower half was serpentine.

"Aim for the head!" Rukia yelled.

Toshiro screamed as he leapt and swung his blade down. The hollow caught the sword before it could slice open the beast's head, but not before it impacted the hollow's white mask.

"It's stronger than the last two!" Rukia yelled.

Toshiro and the hollow stared each other down, each gripping an end of the sword. "It's not its strength that stopped my swing. My sword is caught in its mask."

"What?" Rukia asked. Toshiro growled and attempted to press down harder. Cracks began to appear in the mask, until a portion around the left eye broke off completely.

"That's-" Toshiro began, finding himself looking into a human eye.

The hollow began to roar in agony, and its tail swung up and struck Toshiro in the side. The impact sent him flying into the wall.

"Toshiro!" Rukia yelled as the hollow disappeared into the ceiling.

Toshiro gripped the chair near his study desk to pull himself up.

"I'm alright." he said, breathing heavily. "But…but…"

"But what?"

"Is that thing…a person?"

* * *

"So hollows are fallen humans?" Toshiro asked as he ran across the rooftops carrying Rukia on his back.

"Yes. When we met two nights ago I described the job of a Shinigami as cleansing the hollows. The Zanpakuto frees the spirit from the corrupting influence and sends it to the Soul Society. They are not destroyed."

"That's a relief. I couldn't fight them at all if I thought I was killing people."

"Shinigami don't worry about that."

"Speaking of things Shinigami don't worry about…"

"What do you want to know now?"

"When I got thrown into the wall, I should have broken half the bones in my body, and there's no way I should be able to carry both you and that sword like this at the same time. How much has my body changed from being a Shinigami?"

"The physical strength of a Shinigami and his ability to absorb punishment is proportional to his reiatsu, and yours is a high one."

"And why," Toshiro asked through gritted teeth, "did another hollow just attack my house?"

"I told you; hollows are attracted to large reiatsus. Most of the ones in karakura town are probably going to come after you at some point."

 _"What!?"_

"We're close now!"

Toshiro stopped. "So where's the hollow?"

Rukia looked at her cell phone. "It's going to materialize in one of these houses."

"But why? There can't be anyone around here with spirit energy like the two of us."

Rukia gave him a grave look. "The other kind of person hollows are attracted to, are people they were close with when they were alive."

* * *

"What?" Tatsuki exclaimed. "You got hit by a car and refused to go to the clinic just be looked at?"

"I was fine." Orihime said. "Do I look hurt to you?"

"No." Tatsuki admitted, "but that doesn't make it smart."

"I guess not. Hey, Tatsuki, you'll never guess who was walking home with Toshiro today."

"Who?"

"The new girl, Rukia."

"Really? The biggest loner in the grade is already hanging out with the new transfer student? Interesting?" Tatsuki rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"What is it?"

"Probably nothing. Do you have any idea what they were doi-"

 **Crash!**

"What was that?" Tatsuki asked.

"I don't know." Orihime looked around.

 **Crash!**

"There it is again!"

Tatsuki's eyes darted from right to left. "There's something in her wi-arggg!" She flew into the nearby wall as if struck by a cannonball.

"Tatsuki!" Orihime yelled.

Thunk

Orihime looked down at her torso. It was pierced by a gigantic claw.

She fell.

"Orihime…."

Orihime was caught by a large hand and lifted into the air. She could now see the monster that was attacking her.

"What-what are you?"

"You don't recognize me!?" the monster screamed, throwing her to the floor.

"Owww." She moaned before looking up in terror. The monster was raising its hand to strike her again.

"I'm sad, Orihime."

"Sad?" she wondered out loud.

"You make me sad!" It brought its hand down upon her again, and Orihime shut her eyes.

All she felt was a gust of wind.

'Wha-what happened?' she thought, opening her eyes.

A white haired boy in a black kimono had blocked the monster's attack with a large katana.

"Back off." The boy said, pushing the monster back. He and the hollow stared each other down again.

"Toshiro?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro's eyes widened, and slowly he turned around. "You can see-" His eyes widened even further.

Coming out of the center of Orihime's chest was a metal chain. Toshiro's eyes followed it to-

"Oh, God, no."

-Orihime's body.

"Is that me?" she asked, also just noticing the other her lying on the floor.

"Damn it!" Toshiro yelled.

"That's right." The hollow said triumphantly. _Orihime is already dead!"_

"Noooo!" Toshiro screamed, charging at the hollow. It clenched its hand into a fist and smashed it over his head, dropping him to the floor.

"Toshiro!" Rukia screamed. She was bent over Tatsuki, examining her wounds.

Toshiro rose to all fours and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm still okay."

"Don't be so reckless! You need a strategy to deal with this one!"

"I'm beginning to realize that."

'I thought that mark on her leg earlier was from a hollow.' Rukia thought.

The hollow passed over Toshiro to confront Orihime again.

"You forgot about me, Orihime. You used to pray for me every day, but now you've stopped completely. That makes me sad."

Yo-you are…" Orihime stammered.

Toshiro struggled to rise, and as soon as he reached his feet his body fell sideways again. He smashed into a cabinet, knocking many of Orihime's most treasured possessions off of it.

"Ugh. I'm too groggy from that last hit…" he muttered, putting his hand on the floor to push himself back up again.

His hand found a picture frame, which he turned over.

"This is-"

"I gave everything to you, Orihime." The hollow said. "And how did you repay me?"

"Is this you?"

The hollow, Orihime, and Rukia turned to Toshiro, who was holding up a photograph of a handsome young man with long, brown hair.

"Put that away!" the hollow yelled.

"Brother," Orihime breathed, "it _is_ you."

The hollow roared and lunged at Toshiro, but he slid under its grasp.

"Go away! Orihime is _mine!"_

"What the hell's wrong with you!?" Toshiro yelled. "What kind of brother tries to kill his own sister!?"

"Shut up!" the hollow screamed, almost hysterical. "You don't know what it's like! The loneliness, the pain! Orihime is all I have!"

Toshiro tried to raise his sword, but found his hand shaking. The hollow took advantage of his lack of composure, swinging its tail around again and launching Toshiro out of the window.

Toshiro landed headfirst on the paved street. The hollow made to lunge out of the window at him, but Orihime got in his way.

"Stop this!" she commanded.

The hollow hissed. "You side with this brat over your own brother? I've watched over you for years, Orihime. I've seen how much he terrifies you. I'm going to remove the source of your fear."

"I won't let you." she said firmly.

"What!?" the hollow bellowed, grabbing Orihime and squeezing her. "Are more afraid of me than of him now!?"

A sword sliced through the hollow's hand at the wrist. It writhed in pain and backed off as Orihime dropped to the floor.

"Of course she is." Toshiro said. His breathing was heavy and he was bleeding profusely from the forehead. "You're trying to kill her while I'm fighting to protect her. That's all that matters right now."

"How _dare_ you." The hollow hissed. Toshiro raised his sword over his head.

"Goodbye, hollow."

 _"You don't know what it's like! The loneliness, the pain!"_

The hollow lunged at Toshiro, mouth open so as to swallow him whole.

"Stop!"

Orihime had interposed himself between her brother and Toshiro. One of the hollow's teeth dug into her shoulder.

"Ori….hime." it whispered in surprise.

"Please stop this." She pleaded, beginning to cry.

'I thought of it as human again,' Toshiro thought, 'so I hesitated. Now Orihime's paid the same price Rukia paid three nights ago-to protect me!'

"This is all my fault." Orihime said through her tears. "When you were dying, I couldn't take it. I begged you not to go, and for that reason you didn't pass on. And now you're this-this thing. I'm so sorry.

"But please-please stop hurting Tatsuki and Toshiro, It's my fault, so just punish me."

"Orihime…" the hollow said. Toshiro readied his sword again.

The hollow began to scream and writhe in agony. "Brother!" Orihime exclaimed.

"What's happening?" Toshiro yelled at Rukia, who was holding glowing hands over Tatsuki.

"The man he was is starting to fight the hollow within!" Rukia said. "He must have only transformed recently!"

The hollow gave one final, ear-splitting scream, and its mask shattered.

"B-brother? Sora?" Orihime asked. The handsome face from the picture was restored, though a great deal larger and sadder.

"Yes." he said. He then looked at Toshiro. "Boy, kill me now, before I turn back into that monster."

"No!" Orihime screamed.

"Listen to me!" he yelled. "I can't maintain control for long! This is the only way to keep me from hurting you again! I'd rather die than do that!

"I'm waiting." He said to Toshiro, whose eyes were fixed on his toes and whose sword was shaking again.

"I can't." Toshiro said.

"Toshiro!" Rukia warned. "Listen to him! He's taking sense!"

"I can't kill him while he's a person! I-I know it's a cleansing, that he'll go to a better place, but I just can't do it!"

Rukia sighed. 'Too young.'

"Then give me the sword." Orihime's brother said. "I'll do it."

"Is there no other way?" Orimihe pleaded again.

'I'm afraid not." Her brother said with a sad smile.

Toshiro took a deep breath and dropped his sword. It hit the floor with a clanging sound. Sora picked it up and held it to his neck.

"The head is the vulnerable part." Rukia said.

Sora smiled. "Thanks." He turned to Orihime one last time.

"At the very least, Orihime, I'm glad I was able to say goodbye this time."

"I am too." she answered, wiping her eyes.

"Live life to its fullest, Orihime."

"Can you hold on, for just a minute, Sora?"

"What is it?"

Orihime pointed to the side of her head. "I still wear the hair pieces you got me, just before you died. I said I hated them at the time, because I thought they were childish, but I-I really do like them now! I wear them all the time!

"I guess, I'm trying to say, 'thank you."

Sora leaned close to her.

"Thank you, Orihime. I can pass on in peace now, thanks to you."

Orihime, Toshiro, and Rukia closed their eyes as Sora stabbed himself with Toshiro's sword.

The battle over, Toshiro collapsed against the wall. Orihime said a short prayer to herself for her brother's soul, then addressed Rukia.

"Oh yeah. How's Tatsuki."

"She's fine, now. I've spent this whole time healing her."

"Thank goodness." She then turned to Toshiro. "Thank you, for everything tonight."

Toshiro gave a small nod, then looked at Rukia. "What about Orihime? He said she was already dead."

Rukia walked over to both Orihimes, inspecting the chain connecting them.

"Her chain of fate isn't broken off from her body. She can still return to it."

Toshiro sighed in relief. "Then there's only one problem. The cat's out of the bag."

* * *

"I'm serious!" Orihime exclaimed. "A ninja broke into my house last night!"

"You always have the weirdest stories, Orihime."

"Why doesn't anyone believe me!?"

Across the school lunchroom, Toshiro and Rukia sat alone.

"That memory trick, you did the same thing to my sister." Toshiro said.

"Yes."

"It seems kind of cruel, though, to make Orihime forget being able to make peace with her brother's spirit."

"Maybe, but we couldn't have her remembering us."

"I guess, but I still don't like it."

Toshiro finished his chocolate milk and wiped his mouth.

"That's pretty impressive, how you healed all of our wounds."

Rukia smirked. "I was top in my class in kido spells."

"Kido….The same thing you used to bind me the other day." Toshiro rose and walked towards the nearest window.

"If I'm going to take part in this Shinigami business, I'd better learn how to use that kido stuff."

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "You mean you're ready."

Toshiro spun around. "Hell no!" He looked at his toes.

"I've fought three hollows in the last three days. They're much more common than I imagined, and you say they'll be targeting me and those close to me because of my higher spirit power." He met her gaze with a piercing one of his own.

"As much as I hate the idea, I can't afford to not take this business seriously."

Rukia smiled and pulled out her cell phone.

"I'm glad to hear it, because I've just received orders."

* * *

* _You'll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins_


	3. Chapter 3

"No! Keep away!"

The old man ran for his afterlife, trailed by a twelve foot long monster. He turned a corner into a narrow alleyway, hoping the creature's size would prevent it from moving quickly.

He stopped running as he found the alley to be a dead end.

"Figures." He muttered. "Could never catch a break while I was alive. Why start now that I'm dead?"

He turned around. The monster was already bearing down on him. He winced as it attacked.

To his shock, the monster split in two from the head down. The pieces began to dissipate even as they hit the ground.

"Hmph. Maybe today's my lucky day after all."

* * *

"How'd it go?" Rukia asked at lunch.

"Fine." Toshiro answered. "One small hollow and a konso. Anyone notice I was gone?"

"No."

"Good." Toshiro sat down.

"Toshiro…" Rukia said awkwardly.

"What is it?"

"How do you drink this?" she asked, holding up a juice carton.

Toshiro gaped at her. "Are you serious?"

"I'm still getting used to human customs."

"Wow. Do you see the straw?"

"What's a straw?"

It took all of Toshiro's self control not to face-palm. "It's the tube thing attached to the side. Poke the opening with it."

"Oh! I was wondering what that was for?" Rukia frowned. "Now where do I poke it?"

"Just give it to me." Toshiro said exasperatedly.

"Oh, thank you!" She took a sip. "This is good!"

Rukia put down the box when she was done drinking. "I'm impressed. Humans make even their food products require a degree of coordination and thought to use."

Toshiro shook his head, unable to keep himself from smiling. "I never thought of it that way."

* * *

"Before a Shinigami can learn kido," Rukia said as she circled Toshiro, whose eyes were closed in concentration, "he must first master his reiatsu.

"Complete control. No unconscious leaking of spirit power, no sudden bout of fatigue from using too much, too quickly."

Toshiro grimaced from the effort. As Rukia continued to walk around him a circle of white, flowing paper threads surrounded him.

"Good. Control your reiatsu, and you will be able to manipulate it in ways you cannot yet imagine. And more importantly, you will no longer radiate any for a hollow to pick up on and target."

Toshiro, his eyes still closed, raised one hand and gripped one of the threads.

"You found your spirit thread. Unlike those of human souls, the threads of Shinigami are red instead of white."

Toshiro took a deep breath and let go of the thread. He opened his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"This is going to be more difficult than I imagined."

* * *

Chad fell on his face. He could not hear the monster behind him speak.

"Stay down this time and let me eat you."

"I don't know what you are," Chad said while rising, "but I won't let you target little kids anymore."

The hollow laughed. "What are you going to do about it? You can't even see-arg!"

Chad punched the air directly above where he had previously been standing, connecting with the hollow's face. It fell backwards.

"All right." Chad said. "That hit. Finally"

"Ugh!" the hollow moaned. "You cracked my mask, you bastard! I-I'll kill you for that!"

The next thing Chad knew, a shadow had appeared in front of him. Within seconds the street had turned quiet.

'What happened?' Chad wondered.

"That silhouette, was that-?"

* * *

'No. Not this dream again.'

Toshiro stood in the icy plain, struggling against the wind. The voice was resounding louder than ever.

"Oh…my…"

Walking toward him was the largest monster he had ever seen, larger than all of the hollows he had fought. More than twenty-five feet tall, with a forty foot wingspan, it was bright blue all over except for its glowing, red eyes.

 **Child**

"Wh-what are you? S-some sort of dragon?"

 **Do think you are capable of wielding me**

"I don't understand!" Toshiro yelled.

 **My name is**

The winds reached a new level in intensity, blowing Toshiro off of his feet and carrying him away.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Toshiro awoke in terror.

'Those dreams stopped after I got those powers from Rukia. Why start up again? And why was this one more intense than any of the others?' He looked at his hands.

'I can't stop shaking.'

"Huh?"

Toshiro glared at his window.

'Was there someone watching me just now?'

* * *

A man in a funny hat sat on a roof several houses away, examining his hand. It was covered in a thin layer of frost.

"So it's begun." He said, pulling the brim of his hat down. "But will he awaken in time?"

* * *

Orihime ran for her life.

"Oh, why is this happening again?"

"Such spirit power!" the monster behind her roared. "You smell so good!"

"If you're hungry," Orihime called back, "I can make you an omelet cake with mushrooms at my place! It's delicious!"

The monster actually stopped as it pictured the meal in its head.

"Ugh! Just thinking about that is disgusting! What's wrong with you, girl?"

"At least I eat food and not people!"

"Well I-"

Orihime stared as the monster began to disapate. It was only for an instant, but she was certain she saw-

"Toshiro?"

* * *

Toshiro knocked on the door of Rukia's closet.

"Hey, Rukia."

"What is it?"

"I just got this DVD. Do you want to watch it with me?"

"Very well. I'm still trying to learn more about human customs."

They sat on Toshiro's bed as he inserted the DVD into his laptop.

Two hours later, Toshiro and Rukia could barely contain their laughter.

"Oh, I don't think I've laughed so much in my entire life." Rukia said.

"Yeah. That Edna character was genius."

"Are all human movies this funny?" Rukia asked.

"No." Toshiro's expression grew serious.

"What for?" Rukia asked, confused. "You showed me the movie, not the other way around."

"I've never had a friend to watch movies with. It's a different experience from watching them by myself."

Rukia's expression also became serious. "Sure. Um, I'm getting tired. I'm gonna go to bed."

Rukia shut the closet door and lay on her back on the mat she slept on.

"So we're friends now." She said to herself.

* * *

Tatskui wiped the blood from her lip.

"Dammit. If I could only _see_ this thing I could smash it!'

"Them's the breaks, girlie." The hollow said, lifting Tatsuki off the ground. She struggled against its grip, to no avail.

Suddenly the monster dropped her. Tatsuki, not expecting the fall, was unable to brace herself, making the landing hurt far more than it should have.

"Arg!" the hollow screamed. "What's this thing holding me!?"

Tatsuki aimed a punch at where she had judged the monster to be, but her hand struck only air.

"Where'd it go?" she wondered, looking around.

Watching from a tree branch above, Rukia smiled.

"Are you proud?" a voice behind her asked. "He casted that bakudo spell perfectly."

Rukia spun around, but there was no one there.

"Urahara." She breathed.

* * *

Toshiro drew a graph at his desk, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asked.

"Hollows haven't attacked me or my family since I started controlling my reiatsu, but four of my classmates seem to have abnormally high spirit energy as well, and three of them have come under repeated attacks."

"What about the fourth?"

"I don't know." Toshiro said. "It's strange that hollows would ignore someone with as much reiatsu as the other three.

"Orihime, especially, seems like a favorite target."

"Maybe." Rukia said sympathetically. "But you're doing fine. I don't think they'll be in much danger if you keep doing what you're doing."

"That's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"I'm afraid."

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "Afraid of what?"

"Of someone getting hurt because I messed up."

"Most Shinigami experience that kind of fear once in a while."

"No, I mean, when you and Orihime got hurt trying to protect me, it-it reminded me of Momo."

"Momo?"

"My older sister. About two years ago, I still couldn't tell the difference between living people and ghosts. I was walking with Momo when I saw this girl who looked like she was about to jump into the river. I ran towards her to try to save her, and the next thing I knew, Momo-Momo was dead."

"Toshiro…"

"What are you going to say? Are you going to tell me that it wasn't my fault? Don't bother. I know it was. I can't let something like that happen again."

Rukia nodded, looking away.

'I keep forgetting how young he is. To be so motivated by a misplaced sense of guilt.

'He may be an exceptional child, but he still just a child nonetheless.'

* * *

"Orihime." Chad said, opening his door.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." Orihime went over to Chad's couch.

"What is it?"

"Um, I wanted to talk to you about Toshiro?"

"Toshiro…Hitsugaya?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes. You're the only person he's been on sort-of-friendly terms with, so I thought maybe you'd be the person to talk to."

"Doubtful." Chad said. "He and I were never close."

"But…have you noticed anything strange about him lately?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since Rukia joined our class, a lot of strange things have been happening, and they seem to revolve around Toshiro."

Chad nodded. "I agree."

"And-I've been attacked by these monsters twice in the past month, and I think Toshiro saved me both times."

"I had a similar experience." Chad said thoughtfully. "I couldn't make out the monster, but I could feel it, and I saw an image that looked like Toshiro before the monster disappeared."

"I could see them pretty clearly."

Chad looked away, thinking.

"What do you think is going on?"

"I don't know."

* * *

 _"What do you mean, you won't go to Karakura Town!?"_

The smaller hollow cowered in fear.

"Didn't you hear? That place is under the protection of a serious Shinigami! It must be a lieutenant or something! Hollows are dropping like flies the-chk!"

The smaller hollow faded away, having been gutted through the head.

"Hmmm. A powerful Shinigami. Sounds tasty. I think it's time a paid another visit to Karakura town myself."

* * *

"Hey, Rukia! Toshiro!"

"What is it, Orihime?" Rukia asked.

"Would you guys like to have lunch with us? You're always eating by yourselves."

"Um," Rukia said, looking at Toshiro, who shrugged, "sure. Why not?"

"Great! You can try out my new recipe! Peanut butter with olives and anchovies cooked with-"

* * *

'Who knew school could be so much fun?' Rukia thought as she lay in her closet.

'Orihime makes good food, even if it is a little…interesting. She's actually pretty nice. All the girls who hang out with her are.'

Beep….beep…beep.

Rukia took out her cell phone, thinking that she was receiving an order about another hollow nearby.

 _Good job hunting hollows in area 422._ The text message read. _The brass is pleased with your performance. You are ordered to return to the Soul Society for debriefing and reassignment._

Toshiro pulled the door of the closet open. "Is there a hollow?"

Rukia tried to smile, but found that she could barely even pretend.

"No. Just my phone telling me I need new batteries."

* * *

"Ah. What brings the illustrious Rukia Kuchiki to my humble shop?"

"Cut the crap, Urahara." Rukia said. "Is the item I ordered in yet?"

"As it is, it just arrived yesterday!" Urahara Kisuke exclaimed happily. "Ururu!"

A little girl, at most twelve years old, appeared behind him. "Yes, manager?"

"Would you be a dear and bring up one of the items in the box downstairs marked 'new goods?'"

"Yes." She said enthusiastically and ran off.

"Is there anything else you need?" Urahara asked.

"Batteries for my phone, and something for my gigai." Rukia said. "This one's beginning to fail."

"Hm. I can provide, but that won't solve the problem." He looked at Rukia sternly. "Your powers still haven't returned, and by now your assignment must be close to its end. You can't hide yourself or him much longer."

"I know that."

"And this item you ordered," Urahara pressed. "Do you plan on having him continue after you've gone?"

Rukia looked away.

"That I don't know."

* * *

"Here." Rukia said between classes, holding up a round, green pill.

"What's this?" Toshiro asked.

"It's an artificial soul. It can allow you to turn into a Shinigami when I'm not around, and it can pretend to be you until you get back, so you don't have to worry about being missed."

"So, I'm basically letting someone else take over my body?"

"For a short time. You'd get it back. Artificial souls don't care about staying in a body for long."

"Can I at least wait until there's a hollow to try it out?"

At that very moment, Rukia's cell phone began to beep.

"Speak of the devil." Toshiro sighed and swallowed the pill.

Toshiro popped out of his body, which fell forwards.

"This is creepy." He said as he watched his body get up on its own.

"Hello." The soul inside Toshiro's body said cheerfully. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya, eleven years old."

"Let's go." Rukia said.

"Um, all right. But you, um, me, whatever, don't get me into any trouble, okay?"

The soul saluted. "You got it, boss!"

But as Toshiro ran off after Rukia, he smiled mischievously.

* * *

"I hope that soul we left in my body is all right." Toshiro said as he and Rukia returned.

"Don't worry." Rukia said. "Artificial souls know how to behave themselves."

As they entered the school grounds, they heard a girl's scream.

"You were saying?" Toshiro asked dryly.

* * *

"Why you little-" Tatsuki screamed, lifting a desk.

"What?" the soul in Toshiro's body asked. "It was just a kiss."

Tatsuki roared, throwing the desk at him. He dodged it easily.

"Whoa. That's dangerous."

"You-you _kissed_ her?"

The soul turned to see Toshiro crouching in the window.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"Of course it is! Look at the body you're in!"

"What about it?"

"It's eleven years old!"

"Oh," the soul said. "Right. Yeah, that could be a problem."

"Who's he talking to?" several kids in the classroom asked. Orihime, however could not fail to notice the boy in black enter through the window.

'What's going on?' she wondered. 'Why are there two Toshiros?'

"You've caused enough trouble." Toshiro said, attempting to grab the soul. It turned to the door, to find Rukia already there.

"Give it up." She said. "There's nowhere to go."

The soul looked between them, then hit Toshiro with a roundhouse kick that sent him flying through row after row of school desks.

"Toshiro!" Rukia and Orihime screamed. The rest of the class assumed that they had reacted in terror to his knocking furniture over without touching it rather than the fact that it was _him_ who was kicked through it.

"Ta ta!" the soul said, leaping out of the window.

Toshiro ran to the window to follow, but the soul was running away at an inhuman speed.

"Man," Toshiro said, "he's fast."

'But he shouldn't be.' Rukia thought. 'Unless he's, but he couldn't be.'

* * *

"A mod soul?"

"About a hundred years ago, the Soul society initiated an experiment to create artificial souls for the purpose of battling hollows. Each modified soul would have a special enhancement that would be useful in battle. But the project was scrapped and the mod souls ordered destroyed."

"Even though they were alive?"

"That was the ruling of the Soul Society." Rukia said. "And their laws are absolute."

"That's a load of bull." Toshiro shot at her. "It does explain what he's doing, though. This is the only freedom he's ever known."

"You're probably right. I'll have to have a word with Urahara about the quality of his products."

"Who's Urahara?"

"This is great!" the mod soul yelled, leaping through the air with his modified power, extremely strong legs.

"This power I was given, it fits the whole idea of freedom perfectly! Wahoo!" He did a summersault in midair and landed on the roof of a ten story building.

"And this stamina! I've been jumping around for almost an hour and I'm not tired at all!" He looked out over the city. "Now where should I go now?"

"Come to me, Shinigami."

The mod soul froze.

"Please tell me that's just you making a scary voice, Toshiro. I can explain."

He felt the breath on the back of his neck.

"Whoa!" he yelled spinning around. "You're not Toshiro."

"No, Shinigami. I found you."

"Um, there must be some mistake. I'm not a Shinigami!"

"Do not lie to me, little Shinigami. You have the highest reiatsu in this city. Only a Shinigami can leap as you do."

"C-crap." The mod soul muttered.

"Are you going to leave that gigai and fight me with your true power?"

"I told you, I can't! I'm not a Shinigami!"

"So be it. I will eat you as you are."

Furry tendrils seized the mod soul from all sides. He screamed and struggled, but was carried towards a set of waiting jaws.

"Figures you'd attract even more trouble."

There was a flash of light as the tendrils were severed. The mod soul was pulled away from the hollow.

"T-Toshiro!" the mod soul breathed in relief.

"That's _my_ body you almost got eaten there." Toshiro said firmly. "You need to be a lot more careful."

"S-sure!"

"This one's a lot bigger than the others." Toshiro observed. The hollow had the form of a giant, furry rodent, except for the head, which besides for being oversized even for a hollow was human shaped. "Uglier too."

At the other side of the roof, Rukia gaped in shock.

"Hey, Rukia. What's wrong?"

"Th-that's the _Grand Fisher!"_


	4. Chapter 4

"So you're the little Shinigami that's terrorizing all the poor hollows around here." The hollow known as the Grand Fisher said playfully. "What's your name?"

"Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Yes. You smell delicious." A tendril shot out of the hollow's side, it's end as sharp as a blade. Toshiro leapt away from the attack over to where Rukia was standing.

"Take him." He said, dropping the mod soul.

"Toshiro, I think we should retreat." Rukia said.

"To where?"

Rukia looked away. "I don't know."

"What's so special about this Grand Fisher anyway?"

"He's evaded the Shinigami for over fifty years. He's classified as a priority one threat. I can't even imagine what he's doing here."

"Escalation."

"What?"

"It's a police term, Rukia. It means the bigger guns the cops get, the bigger guns the criminals bring in to counter them. He already said he had heard about me."

'Can that be true?' Rukia wondered. 'Could just the word of Toshiro have brought the Grand Fisher here?'

"Here I thought I couldn't hate this job anymore."

"As long as you understand that he's much more dangerous than any other hollow you've faced so far."

"Yeah. You don't have to tell me to be extra careful." Toshiro stepped toward the Grand Fisher again.

"Done saying your goodbyes?" it sneered.

"Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Don't die too quickly, boy. I like to play with my food before I eat it."

Two tendrils shot at Toshiro from either side, and he again jumped over the attack, this time at his opponent. He brought his sword down as hard as he could, but the Grand Fisher had already moved out of the way. Bits of concrete and plaster flew through the air from where Toshiro had struck the roof.

'He's faster than the other hollows.'

More tendrils attacked Toshiro, and this time he was forced to roll to avoid them. Coming out of the roll, Toshiro swung his Zanpakuto to the right, slicing off the two tendrils that had been able to follow him.

The Grand Fisher laughed, and Toshiro scowled.

'That stuff's part of his body and he didn't react when I cut them! Does he not feel pain?'

Nearby, The mod soul was close to panicking.

"Um, what's wrong? I thought Toshiro would have killed that thing by now. He looks less confident than before."

"Shut up." Rukia commanded, wiping sweat off of her forehead.

'I never thought Toshiro would have to go up against an opponent like this. _I've_ only ever faced one hollow this dangerous, and that was with my captain and lieutenant!'

She took a deep breath. 'It's not about winning this time. It's about surviving.

'Live, Toshiro. Please.'

"Are you really the soul reaper the other hollows are so afraid of?" the Grand Fisher asked. "You're one of the slowest Shinigami I've fought, and believe me, I've eaten plenty."

"You want fast?" Toshiro asked, raising a finger. "Hado number four! Byakurai!"

A beam of blue energy shot out of his finger, striking the Grand Fisher in the center of its mask. It shook its head, then leered.

"Is that really all you've got, little Shinigami?"

Toshiro's eyes widened in fear as he kept his finger in place. "No effect."

"Want me to tell you why that attack didn't work?"

"Don't mock me." Toshiro warned, assuming a defensive stance.

"You wanted to cast it quickly, so you left out the incantation that comes before the spell. But kido is much weaker when cast without the incantation."

"Crap." Toshiro breathed.

"Only a truly powerful Shinigami can get any real power in a kido spell while skipping the incantation. And besides," the Grand Fisher said disparagingly, "that level of kido wouldn't hurt me at its full power.

"This is really disappointing. I thought the Soul Society had sent one of its elites here, but it turns out to be nothing more than a child out of his depth."

The Grand Fisher took in a deep breath, then yelled. Its fur exploded off of its body, moving as if it was a liquid with a mind of its own. The fur surrounded Toshiro on all sides. He attempted to slice through it, but there was too much, and he was seized by all four limbs.

Toshiro screamed, struggling to at least move his sword arm, to no avail. The Grand Fisher reeled him in, opening its mouth wide to swallow him.

"Good bye, little Shinigami."

"Hado number thirty-three! Sokatsui!"

A large burst of blue energy tore through the fur between Toshiro and the Grand Fisher, breaking the hollow's hold on him and allowing him to cut through the fur still holding him. He braced himself with one hand and knee as he landed.

"Thanks, Rukia." Toshiro said, looking to his side. Smoke was still coming out of Rukia's hands, both of which were raised at the Grand Fisher.

"Let me take charge of this fight." Rukia said. "I'm still better at using kido than you are, at the very least. Back me up."

"Right." Toshiro responded, moving behind Rukia. "With his power he can attack from any angle, so surrounding him is going to be useless."

"I know."

"What's this?" the Grand Fisher asked playfully. "Are you a Shinigami too? That was a much better kido spell, but you're not wearing a kimono or holding a Zanpakuto."

"You don't need to know." Rukia said, "since you're about to be destroyed."

"Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Are you serious? With that kind of power both of you combined can't even scratch me!"

'He's right.' Rukia thought. 'I still can't put much power into my kido spells, even with the full incantations. A weak thirties level is the best I can do.'

"But you, boy. You smell familiar. Have we fought before?"

"No." Toshiro said.

"Really? How long have you been in Karakura town?"

"My whole life! And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Just wondering. If you've been in Karakura town your whole life you must actually be a human, little Shinigami. Now, what lure did I use the last time I was here?"

"What's he talking about?" Toshiro asked Rukia.

"The Grand Fisher uses a bait attached to the top of its head to lure spirits and people with strong spiritual presences. The baits allow him to trap and eat people with a minimum of effort and increase his strength very quickly. It's by far the most dangerous thing about him."

"Ah," the Grand Fisher said, "that's it."

A tendril extended out of the hollow's head, settling above the ground in front of it. At the end was the form of a person.

"That's-" Toshiro said in shock.

"What?" Rukia asked.

The form was of a small girl, younger than Toshiro, with long black hair and dead eyes.

"Two years ago," Toshiro said through clenched teeth, "I tried to save this girl."

"Two years ago?"

 _"Momo, what's that girl doing."_

 _"What are you talking about, Toshiro? There's no one there. Come on, or we'll be late for dinner."_

 _"Okay."_

 _But he looked back. The girl bent her knees, as if to jump in the river._

 _"Stop!" he yelled, breaking away from Momo and running toward the girl._

 _"Toshiro! Wait!"_

 _He reached her in time, but his hand passed through her._

 _"What?"_

 _"Toshiro!"_

 _The world went black._

"When I woke up," Toshiro continued, "Momo was dead."

"Toshiro…" Rukia began. 'I don't know what to say. I haven't felt this helpless since-'

"So you _have_ seen this form before." The Grand Fisher said. "You must have been one of those people with high spirit power I try to catch. You're lucky to have survived." he leered.

"You must have had a woman with you at the time. Even if I have targets with high reiatsus, females are just so _tasty."_

"Rukia," Toshiro said, looking at the ground, "I'm changing the plan. _You_ back _me_ up."

"Fine."

"Why are you acting so butt hurt all of a sudden?" the Grand Fisher taunted. "If she was anyone of any importance, I'd remember eating her."

"You…" Toshiro muttered, still looking at the ground. "You… _How dare you!"_ he screamed, charging at the Grand Fisher while swinging his sword.

"Whoa!" the Grand Fisher yelped, leaping off of the building. The pavement cracked beneath each of his four feet as he landed on the street below.

"Damn that brat. Where'd that sudden speed come from?"

"Toshiro!" Rukia yelled. He turned his head to her, and his eyes silenced her.

They were glowing blue.

Without a word, he leapt after the Grand Fisher. Rukia and the mod soul ran to the edge of the roof to watch.

"Aren't you going to go down there to help him?" the mod soul asked.

Rukia shook her head sadly. "I can't. This has turned into his fight."

 _"If you help him now, you might save his life, but is that all he's fighting for?"_

Memories flowed through Toshiro's brain as he arced towards the Grand Fisher.

'After I switched grades, Momo was the only one who supported me.'

 _"Wow, Toshiro. You're first test in my grade and you get the top in the class!"_

 _"You're not jealous?"_

 _"Why would I be jealous?"_

 _"The other students are."_

 _"Oh, come here." She pulled him close and hugged him. "My little brother's a genius! I'm not jealous, I'm proud! So very proud!"_

'And when I was picked on, she was the only one who stood up for me.'

 _"What are you doing!?"_

 _The large boys dropped Toshiro, and she ran over to him. One of his eyes was swollen and he was bleeding from both nostrils._

 _"Why are you doing this to my brother!?"_

 _"Because he's a freak!"_

 _"Well, you know what? It's people like Toshiro who are going to be running the world soon, and you'd better watch out when that day comes!"_

'Even when she died she was trying to protect me.'

"Rooaaaaaah!" Toshiro screamed as he landed, swinging his sword down in an overhead strike that the Grand Fisher just avoided by moving to the side. A handful of his hairs fell to the ground.

The Grand Fisher looked back as the force of Toshiro's attack smashing into the ground continued to crack the pavement for six meters past the tip of his sword.

"You took her…" Toshiro growled.

"Hmmm." the Grand Fisher mused. "Maybe you are worth eating after all." His fur expanded at Toshiro again, but he just sliced through the top fur tendrils and leapt out of the way.

"Damn you." the Grand Fisher said, shooting more concentrated tendril attacks at Toshiro, who just cut through them. He pressed the Grand Fisher back across the street, angling and timing his attacks to keep it from escaping to the right or left, and into an alley.

"Shit!" the Grand Fisher exclaimed, realizing that his size had just been rendered a serious disadvantage.

"I'm going to kill you, hollow."

"Are you, now?"

Toshiro raised his sword for the final blow, but a figure appeared in front of him, making him freeze in mid-swing.

Appearing to be twelve years of age, with flowing black hair, blue eyes, and a standard schoolgirl outfit, was the one person Toshiro had never expected to see again.

"Mo…mo…?"

"Please stop, Toshiro." The figure said. "You wouldn't hurt your sister now, would you?"

"I-I-ack!"

A tendril shot out from behind the figure at the distracted Toshiro, piercing his left shoulder all the way through. He staggered back, holding his sword with his left hand and the wound with his right.

"You…"Toshiro spat. "Killing her wasn't enough for you, you evil…" He raised his sword again.

"Stop!"

The figure of Momo appeared in front of him again, and Toshiro froze in his tracks. His hands began to shake.

"I protected you your whole life, and this is how you repay me, Toshiro? Put down that sword."

"Momo…-arg!"

Another tendril pierced his right shoulder.

"Toshiro!" Rukia screamed running towards him.

"Rukia…" Toshiro said weakly. "I can't…"

"You've got to look past her, Toshiro! She's not real!"

Toshiro tried to lift his sword, but his arms were frozen.

"I know that!" he screamed. "I know she's just an illusion he's using to try to kill me! But when I look at her, I-I just can't…"

"That's right, little Shinigami." The Grand Fisher said triumphantly. "Everyone, no matter how bloodthirsty, has one person that they can never kill. It is a fatal flaw I've used against countless Shinigami in the past."

A tendril pierced Toshiro's chest, and he collapsed.

"Toshiroooo!" Rukia screamed.

 _"Toshiro, why are you crying?"_

 _"I'm not crying!"_

 _She smiled. "Of course not. Why are you upset?"_

 _"I'm not upset. I'm just thinking."_

 _"Very well. I'll leave you to your 'thinking,'Mr. Einstein." She turned to leave._

 _"Momo?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Why does everyone seem to hate me?"_

 _"I don't know." She said sadly._

 _"This school, this whole world, why is it so cruel!?"_

 _She took the sobbing boy and embraced him tightly, lending him her shoulder to cry on._

 _"I'm not crying." He insisted._

 _"I know you're not._

 _"I don't know why this world is so cruel sometimes," she told him, "but I do know one thing. If anyone can come up with a good reason why, it'll be you._

 _"So promise me, Toshiro, that when you find the answer you'll share it with me? Cause I'd really like to know too."_

 _"I promise, Momo."_

His head bowed down to the ground, Toshiro rose.

"What?" the Grand Fisher asked in shock. "You still intend to fight in that condition?"

"I couldn't keep my promise to you, Momo," Toshiro said to himself, "but this promise I'm going to keep. I'm going to kill him."

Toshiro swung his Zanpakuto around. It cut through the image of Momo, which dissipated.

"You-you-you cut down your own sister!" the Grand Fisher screamed. "What kind of kid are-arrrrrrrrggggggggg!"

Toshiro, still looking at the ground, stabbed his sword into the Grand Fisher's flesh. He raised his head, and at last the Grand Fisher realized the truth.

"You-you son of a bitch, you've been fighting with your eyes closed!"

"All I pictured in my head," Toshiro said venomously, "was your ugly mug."

The Grand Fisher pulled back, screaming as the release of the Zanpakuto from his body drew more blood with it, and leapt onto the nearest building as quickly as he could.

"Come back, you coward!" Toshiro screamed.

"Fighting with your eyes closed may have seemed like a good idea," the Grand Fisher yelled, "but because of that you missed my head!

"Don't worry, though! There will be a next time! You wounded me, and that is something I cannot forgive! The next time we meet, Toshiro Hitsugaya, I _will_ kill you!"

With that, the Grand Fisher vanished.

"No!" Toshiro screamed. "Come back! We're going to settle this now!"

He collapsed backwards, into Rukia's arms.

"Easy." She said. "You're lucky to be alive. Those wounds are terrible."

"No!" he screamed at her. "I've got to go after him! He's got to pay! I've got to-to-to…"

Toshiro broke down completely.

"Toshiro…" Rukia said.

She took the sobbing boy and embraced him tightly, lending him her shoulder to cry on.

"I'm so sorry."

Rukia took in the sight of Toshiro: gravely wounded, crying uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry."

'You're an exceptional child,' she thought, 'but still just a child. And I've made you carry my burden, a Shinigami's burden for far too long. I should never have asked so much of you.'

"I'm so sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

Rukia found Toshiro buried in that day's homework.

"Toshiro…"

"I told you to drop it."

But Rukia would not let the subject drop.

"You were the one who didn't want to be a Shinigami in the first place! I'm telling you that you don't have to do it anymore!"

"I feel that I do!"

"Why?"

"Because he's still out there!"

Toshiro's pen cracked from being squeezed too hard. He rose to get a tissue to wipe off the ink that had spilled onto his hand.

"As long as the Grand Fisher's still alive," Toshiro said with narrowed eyes, "I'm not quitting. Not until one of us is dead."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Rukia whispered.

"So what am I supposed to do!? Forget everything I've seen? Ignore the fact that people I know are constantly being threatened? That stronger and stronger hollows are going to be coming here?" He sat down and took another pen.

"Or is the Grand Fisher the strongest hollow out there?"

….." "

I thought so." Toshiro sat back down and took another pen."

"If you don't want to see me get hurt again, you can leave." He pointed at a Godzilla doll on the floor. "With him around I can transform whenever I need to by myself."

'Zilla' raised his tiny arms as high as he could. "Keep me outta this, please."

Rukia could not help but grin at the cowardly lizard.

 _She and the mod soul had dragged Toshiro to a nearby park and set him against a tree so she could begin healing his wounds._

 _"Ughh." Toshiro groaned, barely conscious._

 _"Is he gonna be all right?" the mod soul asked. "He's bleeding all over the place."_

 _"It's bad,"Rukia answered, "but still within my ability to handle."_

 _Rukia's hands glowed as she cast a healing kido spell over the wound on Toshiro's chest. The boy's movements and breathing became more relaxed._

 _The mod soul shifted uncomfortably. "And what are you going to do with me now?"_

 _"We're going to give Toshiro his body back. After that, who knows?"_

 _"Great." The mod soul sighed. "So this might all be just a stay of execu-"_

 _A wooden staff passed through his head from behind, knocking the soul candy out of Toshiro's body. The body fell to the ground, while the candy was seized by a hand._

 _"Urahara!" Rukia exclaimed._

 _"Looks like you've had a busy day." The man in the funny hat said playfully. "I'm sorry about the slipup with the merchandise. Jinta here," he said, gesturing at a red headed boy standing behind him with Ururu, "was supposed to have thrown out the box marked 'defective goods' and Ururu accidently took the soul from that box. I can give you a refund if you like."_

 _"What are you going to do with the mod soul?" Rukia asked._

 _"What do you expect?" Urahara answered more seriously. "I'm going to destroy it."_

 _"No."_

 _Rukia gasped, and even Urahara looked surprised, as Toshiro grabbed his wrist and pulled himself up. He looked Urahara directly in the eye._

 _"He didn't do anything that warrants being destroyed." he said, breathing hard again._

 _"Toshiro!" Rukia said. "You're still in no condition for this!"_

 _"Shut up, Rukia!" Toshiro's stare-down with Urahara turned into a glare, all of his body weight supported solely by Urahara's arm._

 _"You're that guy Rukia mentioned before, aren't you?"_

 _"Probably." Urahara said. "I provided her with the gigai she's currently wearing, along with other assorted items. I_ am _a business man, if just a humble one. People call me Mr. Hat and Clogs around here."_

 _"I don't care!" Toshiro yelled, pulling Urahara closer. "If you want to destroy him, you're going to have to go through me first."_

 _"It's the law." Urahara retorted._

 _"To hell with the law!"_

 _Urahara bent his head down just enough for the brim of his hat to hide his expression. "So you're making a moral stand…"_

 _He suddenly looked up at Toshiro, beaming from ear to ear._

 _"That's perfect!" he exclaimed, tossing the soul candy into the air with a flick of his wrist._

 _"Wha-?" Toshiro released Uraraha's hand to catch the candy._

 _"That's just what I was hoping you'd do." Urahara said, turning to walk away with his young employees. He paused to look back for just a second._

 _"You are the type of man I thought you were."_

 _Toshiro took a look at the soul candy in his hand before collapsing back against the tree. He took a deep breath._

 _"What just happened?"_

 _"I don't know." Rukia said. "I don't understand anything that man says or does."_

 _"The way he talked…it was like he wanted something from me. Is he trustworthy?"_

 _Rukia shook her head. "I don't know. He's figured out a lot about us just from my visits to his store, but he hasn't taken advantage in any way yet."_

 _"So he may not be a problem." Toshiro held up the soul candy. "Is there any way to get this guy a body that's not mine?"_

 _"Are you sure you want to do that after what he pulled today?"_

 _Toshiro nodded. "If we set up rules for him it should be fine. He just got drunk on his first real taste of freedom."_

 _"Hmmm." Rukia thought. "The easiest way would be to put it in a dead body."_

 _"Ummm, yeah. That's out. I'm not raiding a cemetery." Toshiro looked thoughtful for a second, then started to laugh._

 _"Ow! Man. It hurts to laugh."_

 _"What's so funny?"_

 _"I just had an idea only a kid could possibly think up."_

The result of Toshiro's crazy idea now stood before them: a walking, talking, foot tall, somewhat perverted Godzilla.

The words Toshiro had not quite spoken hung in the air.

 _I don't need you anymore._

Beep Beep

"Is that a hollow?" Toshiro asked quickly.

Rukia looked at her phone. "Yes. But it's a small one, not like the Grand Fisher."

Toshiro set his second pen down. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Toshiro walked back and forth impatiently.

"I'm gonna wear a trench in the road. Where's this hollow?"

"I don't know." Rukia said, pressing different buttons on her phone. "The signal just disappeared."

"Did it just go away?"

"I guess so."

"Waste of time," Toshiro muttered.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Rukia?" Orihime asked.

"Hmmm?" Rukia responded, her sandwich still in her mouth.

"This is the first lunch since you've got here that you and Toshiro haven't been sitting together. And you both look pretty upset."

 _"You can leave."_

Rukia smiled. "It's nothing. We just need a little space."

Across the lunchroom, Chad approached Toshiro.

"Hey."

"Hey, Chad."

"Did you see the bulletin board? They posted the rankings for this semester."

"No. If I go there now I expect I'll have a black eye during next period. I already know how I ranked."

"Tied with Uryu Ishida for first place again."

Toshiro put his food down. "You sound surprised."

"Um, I, uh, thought you had less time for studying this semester."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed sharply. "Why would I have less time for studying?"

"Well, um, you've been looking more tired recently, and you're always hanging around with Rukia, and-"

Toshiro shot up.

"W-what is it?" Chad asked nervously.

"Nothing. I just have to go to the bathroom."

* * *

"This is ridiculous." Toshiro said, surveying the empty area. "Are you deliberately leading me away from where the hollows are?"

"No." Rukia insisted, hitting the side of her phone. "I don't understand why the signal keeps disappearing."

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" a voice asked from behind them.

Rukia and Toshiro turned to see a young man, dressed in a white jumpsuit and coat which he wore like a cloak and wearing highly reflective glasses, walking towards them.

"Uryu." Toshiro said.

"I'm flattered." Uryu Ishida said sarcastically.

"How are you able to see me right now?" Toshiro demanded. In order to fight the hollow Rukia had detected he had come in his Shinigami form.

"I can do far more than just see you, Toshiro Hitsugaya." Uryu said. "I believe I can see far more clearly than you are capable of." He turned his head to the side. "For instance, a hollow has just appeared."

Two seconds later, Rukia's phone began to beep.

"He's right." She said. "There's a hollow over-"

"There." Uryu pointed, a small cross dangling from his wrist. A light blue ribbon of energy extended out of the cross as he held his hand up, coalescing into a large energy bow and arrow.

Uryu fired his arrow. It flew across the town until it reached its target, a small hollow. The monster was vaporized on impact.

"Nice aim." Toshiro said, genuinely impressed. "How'd you do that?"

"I'm a Quincy." Uryu said, as if the words were heavier than the entire earth. "And I hate Shinigami.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "And the point of this is?"

"That you understand, Toshiro Hitsugaya, that I hate _you."_

Toshiro huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "If you're hoping to start an 'I hate Toshiro' fan club, be my guest. You'll get plenty of members."

Uryu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and turned away.

"That's one of our classmates, isn't it?" Rukia asked.

"Uryu Ishida." Toshiro said. "The only student in our class whose grades match mine. If it wasn't for him bringing up the GPA of the grade I'd have skipped directly into high school already."

He turned to Rukia. "Do you know what exactly a Quincy is?"

She shook her head. "No. I remember hearing the term when I was at the Shinigami academy, but I don't remember any specifics. I suppose I can ask him tomorrow."

"'Him,' meaning Hat and Clogs?"

"Yeah."

"Count me out on that one." Toshiro said.

* * *

"Ah" Urahara said. "Back for more merchandise, Miss Kuchiki? I've got a number of-"

"I'm here for information."

"Oh? What do you want to know?"

"I want to know about the Quincies."

"Ah." Urahra turned around and walked to the back of his shop where he sat down on a step in front of the wall. "That's a term I haven't heard in quite a long time."

"You're actually serious." Rukia observed, visibly surprised.

"It's a serious subject, Quincies. They went extinct two hundred years ago."

"Extinct?"

Urahara gave her a piercing stare. "Actually, they were _exterminated."_

As Rukia listened to Urahara, her eyes grew wider and wider.

* * *

Uryu was buried in a novel as he walked home from school. He turned a corner to ascend a set of stairs to the top of a hill, but stopped halfway up the stairs.

"How long do you plan on following me?" Uryu asked without turning around.

"Impressive." Toshiro said, coming out from behind the corner. "I was hiding my reiatsu."

Uryu closed his book and pushed his glasses up. "Only the best Shinigami can hide their presence from someone with any real skill in detecting spiritual disturbances."

"Those red ribbons do tend to stand out."

Uryu moved directly above Toshiro on the staircase and looked down at him.

"You met the Shinigami Rukia Kuchiki nearly two months ago and gained her powers, and it all that time you never noticed one of your classmates also had an abnormally high reiatsu."

"Oh, I noticed." Toshiro said. "I just didn't think anything of it because Chad, Tatsuki, and Orihime also have high reiatsus but don't have powers like we do. I _did_ find it weird that you were the only one of them not being attacked by hollows regularly, but then again, I had a high reiatsu for years without seeing a hollow."

"I see." Uryu said. "So you're not as dense as I thought."

Toshiro folded his arms across his chest again. "So what is this about? Are you sore about that one test we took in January that I got a higher score than you on?"

"No." Uryu insisted. "As a matter of fact, I like having a challenge in school. I am a Quincy. I hate Shinigami."

"I still don't see any point in this."

Uryu turned away again. "You have witnessed my speed and efficiency. Compared to the skills you have developed these last two months, I am clearly superior.

He looked over his shoulder at Toshiro. "I am here, so this town does not need a Shinigami."

Toshiro looked at his toes. "You're the second person in three days who's told me to quit." He raised his head slightly. "I've got my own reasons for wanting to be a Shinigami right now. If you want to help, fine. But don't get in my way."

'And don't even think about coming between me and the Grand Fisher.'

"I don't think you realize the difference between us." Uryu said. "Perhaps if we have a match you'll come to see just how useless you are to this town."

"Forget it." Toshiro said, starting to walk away.

"What?"

"I've got nothing to prove to you, Uryu. I don't see any purpose in a grudge match."

"Are you afraid?" Uryu asked. "Afraid of being embarrassed?"

"Now you're trying to bait me? Are you serious?"

"Or is it Rukia?" Uryu called after him. Toshiro stopped.

"What about Rukia?" he asked without turning around.

"You only got your powers from her. Do you need her permission every time you use your Shinigami powers?"

"You know, I _really_ resent being treated like a child. So just stop trying to provoke me into attacking you."

"Who said anything about attacking each other?"

That got Toshiro to turn around. "Huh?"

Uryu reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, round pill. "This is a bait which Quincies use to draw in hollows to kill. I propose that we see which of us can kill the most hollows in one hour to determine the winner of our match."

"Are you insane?" Toshiro asked. "Actually luring hollows here? How many lives are you risking for a game!?"

"You don't think you can handle it." Uryu observed. "Fine, then I will." He crushed the pill between his fingers.

A small wave seemed to pass through Toshiro's body, and he raised his hand to his chest.

"You-you actually did it." Regaining his composure, he ran up to Uryu and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Make it stop!"

"I can't." Uryu said calmly. "The die is cast. What will you do, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Toshiro let him go. "Damn you."

He took off his backback and opened it.

"Air!"

"What's that?" Uryu asked as Toshiro pulled Zilla out of his backback. "A talking Godzilla doll?"

"Dammit, Toshiro!" Zilla screamed. "I don't care if Rukia had anything to do with it! You can't just stuff me in a backpack all day!"

"Shut up." Toshiro said, reaching his hand into Zilla's mouth.

"Hey! Stop th-"

Toshiro pulled the soul candy out and threw it into his own mouth. His body fell backwards as he stood in his Shinigami costume.

"Find a place to hide." he told Zilla. "Things are about to get serious."

"Right." Zilla muttered in Toshiro's body. He gathered the backpack as Toshiro ran off.

As he passed Uryu by, Toshiro warned This isn't over between us."

"Of course not." Uryu answered, not bothering to look at Toshiro. He raised his arm, and the blue bow appeared.

"Finally, the hollows are coming."

* * *

Rukia's cell phone beeped.

"Oh?" Urahara asked. "Is there a hollow?"

Rukia looked at her phone. "Yes. But either Toshiro or the Quincy should be able to handle….it?"

Rukia's eyes widened in horror as she continued to stare at her phone.

"What is it?" Urahara asked, a small amount of concern creeping into his voice.

Rukia bolted out of the shop.

'What's going on?' she wondered frantically. 'There's over a dozen hollow signals around the town, and more are appearing every second!'

* * *

A hollow appeared right behind Zilla, who covered his head with his hands and screamed in terror as it opened its mouth to swallow him. A blue bolt hit the monster right between the eyes, and it disintegrated.

Zilla looked up at Uryu. "Thanks."

Uryu ignored him, turning his attention to another hollow.

"That's one."

* * *

"Damn it!" Toshiro screamed, slicing a hollow in half. Two more bore down on him.

'Those three are going to be targeted again for sure. But I can't even look for them if I'm being swamped here!'

* * *

Chad turned his head at the sound of children laughing. There were kids playing soccer in the park he was walking past.

Such sights made Chad a little sad. He had always wanted to participate in sports leagues, but his great size and strength made such pursuits too risky. It would be all too easy for him to accidentally hurt someone during a game.

Another sound caught his attention, and Chad looked straight in front of him. It was a low sound, like rolling thunder. And it was getting louder.

"Something's coming."

* * *

"You're improving, Orihime." Tatsuki said as they left their karate practice.

"Am I?" Orihime beamed.

"Of course! I'm glad I'm going for the national competition this year. In another one or two you'd be able to compete with me in the finals!"

"Wow! You think so?" Orihime looked away.

'If I can be as good as Tatsuki says, would I not need to be protected by her or Toshiro anymore?'

"Is something wrong, Orihime?"

"No!" Orihime insisted. "I just zoned out for a-

 **Crash!**

Orihime, Tatsuki, and the rest of the girls in their karate class turned around to look at the bilding they had just come from. Every window was smashed.

"Gee," Tatsuki said, "I wonder what happened. Orihime? Orihime?"

Orihime was looking at the top of the building, and her eyes were bulging in terror.

"Toshiro, where are you?"


	6. Chapter 6

Urahara sat outside his shop, sipping a cup of tea. His face contorted as he burned his tongue on the hot liquid. He looked solemnly at his cup, then blew on it and continued to drink, his smile restored.

Urahara leaned his head slightly to the side as a hollow attacked him from his left. His hat was knocked off, but he was completely unharmed.

"Jinta home run!" Urahara's youngest employee screamed, swinging a massive baseball bat-like object at the hollow. It flew through the air away from the shop into another hollow. Both disintegrated from the impact.

Urahara held his cup up. "Oh, good. I didn't spill any of my tea." He looked at Jinta, who was sweating profusely and breathing hard.

"That one came too close to the store, Jinta."

"That's because you sent Ururu off!" Jinta protested. "With that rocket launcher of hers she can take out a hundred at a time! It's not fair!"

Uruhara smiled at him.

"I thought you said you could defend the place by yourself."

"I can!"

"Well," Urahara said, looking back into the shop, "you won't have to do it for too much longer. I think Tessai's almost got that kido barrier up."

Jinta smirked and held his bat above his head.

"I'll kill them all before he finishes!"

Urahra smiled again as the boy through himself back into his fight with the hollows, and turned his attention to an object lying four meters away.

"Now," he said to himself, "I could go and pick up my hat, or I can be lazy and enjoy my tea. Decisions, decisions. And people think I have it easy here."

* * *

Chad could not see the creature, exactly. He could make out a hazy outline, as if the air was distorted by heat.

And he could hear it. A foul, hissing sound of breath mixed with the dripping of drool.

Chad leapt out of the way of an attack he felt rather than saw coming. He rolled behind the monster and stopped his momentum with one hand.

He watched the changes in the air distortions. The monster was turning around.

It was focused on him.

Chad looked to his right and left, and even stole a glance over his shoulder. He could go into the park, where the children were playing, or he could lead the monster into a residential neighborhood or shopping district. He found none of the options appealing.

"If you're going to show up again, Toshiro, now would be a good time."

* * *

"What did you just say about Toshiro?" Tatsuki asked.

"Oh, nothing." Orihime said quickly, trying to smile. "I just remembered, he told me about this new TV show he said was really good. I wanna go see it!" She began pushing Tatsuki away from the building. "Let's go to my house to watch!"

"Hey, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Tatsuki demanded.

"It's supposed to be even better than Don Kanogi!" Orihime insisted. She glanced nervously behind her.

'Please, let us get away. Let Toshiro show up before that thing wakes up.'

"Ughhh."

In front of them, a girl collapsed.

Tatsuki broke away from Orihime and ran to their fallen classmate.

"Are you all right?"

"Tatsuki…" Orihime said nervously, "we've got to get out of here."

"We've got to call an ambulance is what we've got to do! I think she might have been hit on the head."

Orihime cringed in fright, as all around them the rest of their karate class collapsed as well.

Tatsuki gaped at the falling bodies. "What is going on?"

Orihime looked back up at the side of the building.

'The last couple of times, there was this strong presence in the air before he came.' she thought. 'But now I don't feel it all, even though I'm trying as hard as I can!'

'Toshiro really isn't coming this time.'

* * *

"That's thirty-five." Uryu said, shooting down another hollow.

'There's a lot of them.' he thought. 'But they seem to be congregating more where Hitsugaya is. Not too surprising, but at this rate he'll pass my total soon.'

"Hellllllllp!"

Uryu shook his head as he saw that Zilla was being chased by three hollows at once. He took his aim.

"Get down."

Zilla dropped to the ground, and the hollows lunged at him.

"Ahhh! I don't want to die!"

Uryu released his arrow. It struck the first hollow, but did not stop. The projectile pierced the chest of the second hollow and continued through the head of the third.

"What's the big idea of waiting so long!?" Zilla demanded. "I could have been killed!"

Uryu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It takes longer to fire more powerful arrows. Now that's thirty-eight."

Uryu turned his attention to the next hollow.

'I will beat him, grandfather. I will prove our abilities to the Shinigami.'

* * *

Toshiro was swinging his sword around so much he was practically spinning.

"Damn it!"

As many hollows as he killed, more were always ready to take their place.

"I can't get anywhere with all of these in the way!"

 **Boom**

Toshiro covered his face as the hollows around him began to explode. When he lowered his arms, the two dozen hollows he had been fighting were gone, replaced by small pillars of white smoke.

"What the?"

Toshiro spun around. Ten meters away was a little girl holding a rocket launcher that was more than twice her size over her shoulder.

"Hellow." she said, bowing. "I'm Ururu. Mr. Urahara sent me to find you."

"Uruhara? Does he have something to do with this?"

"No. Mr. Urahara said that I should tell you not to worry about your friends."

"Look what's going on!" Toshiro yelled. "How can I _not_ worry?"

"Mr. Urahara said that by going to help your friends you'd just attract more hollows to them."

Toshiro grunted. It was true. He was fighting too hard to keep his reiatsu hidden.

"Mr. Urahara said that you should go back to the Quincy. He'll need your help soon. We'll help your friends."

"But-"

Ururu raised her rocket launcher and fired a missile into the air. It hit a hollow and exploded high over Toshiro's head.

"Get back to Uryu." Toshiro said, looking up. "Got it."

* * *

The soccer ball rolled out of the field the children were playing in. A girl ran over to get it.

As she picked up the ball, a shadow fell over her. She raised her eyes to see a giant standing above her.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked nervously.

Without a word, the giant took her in his arms and jumped away. She heard a crash and after they had stopped looked to see a small crater where she had been standing previously.

"All of you, run!" Chad commanded. The terrified children complied without hesitation.

All except one.

The girl Chad had just saved crawled backwards in terror, whimpering.

'Not good.' Chad thought. 'I hoped I could get everyone out of the park at least. What do I do now?'

Chad saw another shift in the air distortions, and brought his fist down in front of him. He felt the impact on what he guessed was the monster's wrist and heard it cry out in pain.

Reflexively, the monster swatted him away with its other hand. He bounced along the ground, coming to a stop fifteen meters away.

"Hey, Mister!" the girl screamed, finding her voice again. "Are you all right?"

Chad opened his eyes. His head was bleeding, and his vision was blurry.

'I can't fight this thing. The one time my strength should be good, and I'm as helpless as a baby.'

The girl crawled over to him and tried to shake him awake.

"Mister! What's happening!?"

If there was one thing Chad hated, it was seeing people get hurt. He especially hated being the cause of other people's pain.

But as he watched the scared girl begin to cry, Chad experienced a new kind of hatred: hatred of seeing other people get hurt because he was too _weak._

'What good is strength, if I can't protect people, if I need someone like Toshiro to rescue me?'

He heard the monster roar again, and knew that it was preparing its final attack.

'If my current strength is not enough to protect myself, to protect others, then I want-'

 **"More!"**

Chad caught the monster's fist with his own.

It backed off, and Chad realized that he could see it clearly now. A froglike creature with a white mask.

Chad looked at his right arm. It was covered in a red and black armor-like substance that was bonded to his flesh.

'I don't know what this is.' he thought. 'But worrying about that can wait until later. For now I know what I need to _do_ with it!'

Chad ran at the monster, bringing his right arm back. He put everything he had into a single punch that connected with the monster's midsection. His fist tore through the creature's flesh as easily as if it were made of tissue paper, and the rest of the beast disintegrated.

Chad held his arm up, in awe of what he had just accomplished.

* * *

Orihime continued to stare at the monster on the wall. It was even larger than the ones she had seen before, an octopus-like creature with many tentacles.

'It's just sitting there.' Orihime thought. 'Can we get away?'

"You seem confused, girlie." the monster said, making Orihime jump. "Wondering why I'm not attacking? I happen to hate fighting, so I make other people do it for me."

"What?"

The girl Tatsuki was leaning over suddenly kicked her in the chin. Tatsuki was knocked on her back.

"Tatsuki!"

"I'm all right." Tatsukia said rubbing her chin. "What was that for?" she demanded of the girl who had kicked her.

The girl did not respond as she rose to her feet.

"Answer me!"

"Tatsuki…" Orihime warned. Tatsuki looked to see what was frightening her now.

All around, the people who had collapsed began to rise, in the same silent manner as the first girl.

"What's up with their eyes?" Tatsuki asked. "They look like zombies."

One girl grabbed Orihime's arm and began to squeeze it.

"Ow!" Orihime complained. "You're hurting me!"

"Stop it!" Tatsuki yelled, smashing her elbow into the face of the person holding Orihime.

"Tatsuki."

"I don't know what's wrong with these people," Tatsuki said, "but I'm not going to let them hurt you."

Even as they were surrounded, Tatsuki leapt into action. Her fists and legs were a blur to Orihime's eyes as she beat the living daylights out of their entire karate class.

Tatsuki took a deep breath when she was finished. "This time they're not getting up so fast. Ugh!"

"Tatsuki!"

A green lump of slime had struck Tatsuki in the shoulder with such force that she fell to the ground as well.

"Damn." she muttered. "That really hurts."

"Oh, it'll do a lot more than just hurt." the monster said, prompting Orihime to turn to it again. "That slime lets me control the body of whoever it touches."

'Control?"

Behind Orihime, Tatsuki was rising, arm first.

"Run, Orihime." Tatsuki pleaded. "My arm's acting on its own. I can't stop it!"

"She's resisting it." The monster said, impressed, "but in the end it makes no difference. Soon her entire body will belong to me."

Orihime stepped back as Tatsuki raise her arm back to punch her.

'Both of them. Both of the people who protected me. They both couldn't do it this time.'

She turned back to the monster. "Why?"

The monster laughed. "Why what? Why am I attacking you? We hollows love to eat people with high spirit energy, that's all."

'High spirit energy, me?' Orihime looked at Tatsuki again. The other girl's face was contorted in pain from resisting her arm's urge to hit Orihime as hard as she could.

'If that's true, then-then maybe I don't need Toshiro and Tatsuki to protect me.'

Orihime stepped forward and hugged Tatsuki.

"Ori…hime?"

"It's all right, Tatsuki." Orihime said soothingly. "This time, this time _I'll_ protect _you."_

As the hollow watched, the girls were surrounded by a sudden pillar of smoke.

"What's going on? What just happened?"

The smoke cleared, revealing Orihime standing with an expression of anger on her face. Flashes of light seemed to swirl around.

"I won't forgive you for hurting Tatsuki!"

"What are you, little human?" the hollow demanded. "What is that power?"

One of the lights stopped in front of Orihime, and she saw that it was a fairy.

"What are you?"

The other fairies all stopped around her.

"Clueless girl." a mean looking one said. "Not even noticing us."

"We're the six flowers of the hibiscus shield, born to protect you." another one said. "We're your power."

"My power is…fairies?"

"We're not fairies." the same one insisted. "We're the power of your soul."

"This is all very interesting," the mean looking one said, but you might want to do something about that hollow first. It's not going to be patient long enough to get the introductions out of the way. You'd better learn how to control us on the spot or else we're all dead!"

"How to control you?"

"Yes. We each have names that when called unlock out powers."

"Enough!" the hollow yelled, launching another glop of slime from a pore on its forehead.

"Call out our names!" a fairy that looked like a clown said. "Hinaku, Baigon, Lily! Santen Keshunn! I reject! Say it!"

"Hinaku, Baigon, Lily, Santen Keshu! I reject!"

Three of the fairies flew in a pattern in front of her. Between them an orange barrier was formed. The slime hit the barrier and slid off.

"Oh my-" Orihime started in shock.

"No time to be surprised!" the mean one said. "It's time to attack! Say it! Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I Reject!"

"Right." Orihime said. "Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

The mean fairy moved so fast that he seemed to turn back into a beam of light. He cut through the hollow with ease, causing it to disintegrate.

"You did it, Orihime!" the first fairy exclaimed.

"Yeah." Orihime said weakly. She collapsed from exhaustion.

* * *

Three arrows struck the closest hollow, disintegrating it.

'Something's wrong.' Uryu thought. 'By now they should be thinning out, but if anything there are more of them than ever!'

Another three arrows destroyed the next hollow.

'I've used up so much of my reiatsu that I can't kill them with just one shot anymore.'

"Hey, Quincy!"

"Rukia." He said, not turning to acknowledge her. He kept his focus entirely on the hollows.

She stopped next to Zilla. "Toshiro, good."

"Rukia!" he yelled, leaping on top of her. "There's all these hollows everywhere! I didn't know what to do!"

"Zilla." she muttered, throwing him off of her.

"Where's Toshiro?" she asked Uryu.

"I don't know at the moment." he said. "I'm going to end this before he comes back."

He returned to shooting hollows, and Rukia saw what had become of his hands.

Both were so covered in blood that a steady stream was falling to the ground.

* * *

Orihime woke up in a bed not her own.

"You're awake." she heard Chad's voice say.

"Yeah." She looked around. "Where are we?"

"My place."

They both looked up at the strange man in the dark green robe, funny hat, and wooden sandals.

"My name is Urahara, and I have much to tell you. But first, do you want some tea? This might take a while."

* * *

'It's like some greater power is attracting these hollows.' Uryu thought. 'But it doesn't matter. I said I'd protect this town, and that's exactly what I'll do! While Hitsugaya and the Shinigami watch, I'll show them all!'

Another hollow appeared behind him, and he turned with his bow to face it.

He never got the chance to fire, for the hollow's head split in half.

Leaping from behind the disintegrating beast was a small figure in black.

"It took a while to get back here, but now it looks like the gang's all together."

"Toshiro." Rukia said. He nodded at her, then turned his attention to Zilla.

"You're all right. I was worried you'd get eaten and then I wouldn't have a body."

"Rukia hit me!" Zilla cried.

Toshiro ignored him, and turned lastly to Uryu.

"What's wrong? You look awful."

Inwardly, Uryu swore.

'He's been fighting for hours and barely even looks like he's broken a sweat! How?'

"Have you realized how stupid this was yet, Uryu?"

* * *

"Hold on a second!" Orihime protested. "This is all too sudden!"

"It is hard to believe." Chad agreed. "Shinigami and hollows."

"Do you deny that the two of you were attacked just today?" Urahara asked. "By the way, you haven't touched your tea, either of you. It'll be cold by now.

"Even as we speak," Urahra continued, "Toshiro is fighting the hollows as a Shinigami. You two have been affected by the extraordinary spirit energy he radiates when he fights.

"Today, Toshiro learned that he cannot be everywhere at once, and chose to protect the town as a whole rather than just the individuals he knows. A similar choice now awaits the two of you. A door has opened before you."

As if on cue, the door in back of Urahara slid open.

"Manager," an older, bearded man who even taller than Chad said, the sky crests have begun to converge."

"Preperations?" Urahara asked.

"Complete."

"Very well." He turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway.

"Will you come?" he asked Orihime and Chad. "I will show you what lies beyond the door."


	7. Chapter 7

"The sky!"

Toshiro, Rukia, and Zilla all turned to where Uryu was pointing. So many hollows were gathering in one place that they were turning the sky black.

"What are they doing?" Toshiro asked.

"It's like they're preparing for something." Rukia said.

"There must be hundreds, maybe thousands of them." Zilla added.

Uryu took off.

"Hey!" Toshiro called. "What are you doing?"

Uryu turned his head back to him. "What do you think? I'm going to stop them!"

"Don't be absurd! Against that many it's suicide!"

"You may be afraid!" Uryu yelled. "But this is my battle, my responsibility! I'm going to see it through to the end!" He continued running.

"That idiot." Toshiro breathed, making to run after him. But before he could move a step, Rukia grabbed his arm.

"What is it?" Toshiro demanded. "There isn't time."

"I found out about the Quincies." Rukia said gravely.

Toshiro stopped and lowered his sword. He turned to Rukia.

"Hundreds of years ago," Rukia explained, "many humans with high reiatsus like yourself learned to control their power and used their abilities to fight hollows. They were the Quincies.

"The Quincies saw themselves as the natural allies of the Shinigami, but there was one crucial difference between them. The Zanpakuto of the Shinigami cleanse the souls of hollows and send them to the Soul Society. The Quincies, however, destroyed the souls of the hollows utterly.

"There is a balance of the flow of souls between the world of the living and the Soul Society, and one of the Shinigami's main duties is to maintain that balance. The methods of the Quincies, in destroying so many souls, was throwing that balance out of whack. If left unchecked it would have meant the end of the world."

Toshiro lowered his head.

"So the Shinigami killed them."

"It wasn't their first choice. The Shinigami tried to reason with the Quincies many times, but they refused to stop. Then two hundred years ago, the order came down to exterminate them."

"Exterminate, like vermin."

"It wasn't like that!" Rukia protested.

"Wasn't it?" Toshiro looked towards the place where Uryu was fighting at that very moment.

"Where did you hear this from?"

"From Urahara."

"Him again." Toshiro said with a slight air of skepticism.

* * *

Uryu spun around furiously, firing shot after shot as fast as he could. But the army of hollows surrounded him on all sides.

'Damn it.' he thought. 'No matter how many I kill, their numbers don't decrease! But I've got to press on. I've got to do it for you, grandfather.'

 **Boom**

Uryu jumped at the sound of the explosion behind him. A huge hole had opened in the line of hollows, behind which stood Toshiro with his palm extended.

"What was that?" Uryu demanded.

"The highest level hado spell I can cast." Toshiro answered, drawing his sword as he walked closer. "With the full incantation."

'He's picked up kido that fast?' Uryu wondered. He pointed his bow in Toshiro's direction and fired two shots. One hollow that had tried to sneak up on Toshiro from behind was destroyed.

Toshiro ignored the hollows as he approached Uryu.

"I just heard about what happened two hundred years ago."

"The extermination?" Uryu asked. "I don't care about that. When I learned all the facts, I actually thought the Shinigami were justified in doing what they did."

He gave Toshiro his hardest stare. "I hate Shinigami because they caused the death of my grandfather."

Toshiro opened his mouth slightly, but no words came out. Uryu resumed shooting the hollows as he continued.

"He was my teacher. As one of the last of the Quincies, the Shinigami had him under constant surveillance. When those five huge hollows attacked him, they could have saved him, but not one Shinigami came for two hours!"

Uryu was shaking with rage, and his eyes were on the verge of tears.

"My grandfather pleaded with the Shinigami to let us fight with them, to put aside our differences! He wanted to make peace! And they just let him die!"

Toshiro looked at his toes.

"I know how it feels to have someone you care about taken from you. My sister was killed by a hollow." Uryu grimaced at the revelation. "That's why I want to keep on being a Shinigami. I won't rest until I've destroyed that hollow."

Toshiro looked up just enough for Uryu to see how his eyes were full of fire.

"What you've done today, it's exactly what the Quincies did two hundred years ago. You put this entire down in danger for your own reasons just like they put two worlds in danger."

Uryu lowered his bow. 'Is he right?' he wondered. 'Am I no better than those whose refusal to listen to reason was their undoing?'

He looked at Toshiro, who did the last thing Uryu expected; he smiled.

"So, truce until we clean up this mess of yours?"

Uryu smiled back. "Fine."

Toshiro leapt into action, summersaulting with his sword through a batch of hollows as Uryu blasted away hollows from the other direction.

Three hollows jumped on Toshiro, attempting to crush him. He pushed them away with the first hado spell.

Toshiro retreated back to Uryu, who was also hard pressed.

"So much for that idea. There really are too many for both of us to take at once."

"Toshiro!" Uryu warned. "The sky!"

Toshiro looked up. "What in the-"

A crack had appeared in the blue of the sky, a crack that was growing.

"How is that possible?"

"Something big must be coming out!" Uryu yelled.

Even as he spoke, a gigantic white finger poked through the crack, pulling it farther open. Behind the crack was a total blackness.

As the hollows they had ignored while staring at the crack in the sky all charged them at once, Toshiro and Uryu realized their mistake.

"Crap!"

 **Boom**

A series of explosions annihilated the hollows immediately surrounding them, kicking up a large cloud of smoke.

"This is-" Toshiro began, spinning around to see where that attack had come from.

As Toshiro had expected, he saw Ururu holding up her rocket launcher. Behind her were Uruhara, Jinta, and a large man Toshiro had never seen before.

"Hat and Clogs!"

Urahara waved happily at him. "Hi, Toshiro! We're here to help!"

"You-"

"And don't worry about your friends. They're safe, just like I promised."

"Toshiro!" Uryu yelled. "It's coming out!"

Toshiro turned again to the crack in the sky, and his mouth dropped in horror.

The white finger had become two white hands, which tore the crack so wide open that it filled the sky. The hands disappeared, and a face replaced them.

A white mask, seemingly without a body, poked through the crack. It alone was far larger than any hollow Toshiro had ever seen.

Nearby, Rukia and Zilla, who had come to observe, stared in shock.

"No." Rukia whispered. "It can't be."

The mask forced its way past the crack and into Karakura Town, and Toshiro realized why he had not noticed its body before.

This monster wore a billowing cloak so black it blended in perfectly with the world behind the crack.

"Ahhh!" Zilla screamed. "What is that thing? It's as big as the real Godzilla!"

"Menos Grande." Rukia whispered again, unable to raise her voice. "A terrifying beast created when hundreds of hollows merge together. I-I've never even _seen_ a real one before. This-this is beyond any one Shinigami to handle."

'It's happening again.' she thought. 'Just like with the Grand Fisher. He's getting drawn into fights he can't win, fights he's too young to handle.'

"Run, Toshiro!" she screamed.

"Where?" Toshiro asked gravely to himself. He looked at Uryu, who was backing up unconsciously.

"What do we do?"

"I-I don't know." Uryu said. "There's still all of the little ones down here."

"Let us worry about those." Urahara said. "You two just focus on that big one."

Toshiro gulped. "How? What good is a sword against something like that?"

"We'll try attacking from different angles." Uryu said. "See if we can confuse it and keep it too unfocused to attack us back."

"You don't think that'll work either, do you?" Toshiro asked.

"No." Uryu admitted. "Can you think of a better plan?"

"No."

As they moved against the menos, Rukia ran up to Urahara.

"What are you doing?" she screamed. "Are you trying to get Toshiro killed?"

"Hardly." Urahara answered. Without taking his eyes off of the Quincy/Shinigami duo, he held two fingers up in front of Rukia. Her arms locked into place behind her and she fell to her knees.

'This is a bakudo spell!' she realized. 'But he didn't even say the name, let alone the incantation!'

"This is a necessary fight," Urahara said, "for both you _and_ him.

* * *

Several blocks away, Chad and Orihime watched from an overpass.

"Is Toshiro really going to fight that thing?" Orihime asked, referring to the menos. Even at the distance from the battle they stood, the monster's size was still terrifying to behold.

"Yes." Chad said. "And Uryu as well."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Chad shook his head. "There is nothing we can do against a monster like that. Not with powers we've only just discovered today."

"So we just watch."

He nodded.

'Watch,' Orihime thought, 'and decide. Is that what Urahara meant? But what are we supposed to decide?'

* * *

Toshiro and Uryu were close to the menos now, close enough to see how much they were dwarfed by its foot. The menos gave no sign that it even noticed their presence, which made them feel even more insignificant.

"Are you ready?" Uryu asked.

"No." Toshiro said. "I think I need a bigger sword."

"On my mark, raise your reiatsu to its maximum and go."

"It already is."

"What?" Uryu asked, taken aback.

"Most of the time I keep my reiatsu hidden," Toshiro explained, "but when I'm fighting I don't hold anything back. I never saw the point."

"You must be joking." Uryu said. "You've been fighting for the better part of a day, and your reiatsu has been at its peak the entire time?"

"Yeah."

"That's impossible! If anyone had their powers at their peak for that long they'd have long since burned themselves out! You've _got_ to have more power to still be able to fight at this level!"

'I didn't want to think about it before.' Uryu thought. 'But I realized when he appeared without even being short of breath that his true power must be monstrous.'

"Think! Have you ever felt like there was something more, like there was an even greater power within you?"

Toshiro sighed. "There was one time."

 _"Rooaaaaaah!" Toshiro screamed as he landed, swinging his sword down in an overhead strike that the Grand Fisher just avoided by moving to the side. A handful of his hairs fell to the ground._

 _The Grand Fisher looked back as the force of Toshiro's attack smashing into the ground continued to crack the pavement for six meters past the tip of his sword._

"Good!" Uryu said. "What was different about that time?"

"I was angry."

 _"You took her…"_

"Can you focus on that anger?"

Toshiro nodded. "I think so." He closed his eyes and bowed his head to the ground.

Toshiro pictured the g\Grand Fisher's face in his minds

 _"You must have had a woman with you at the time. Even if I have targets with high reiatsus, females are just so_ tasty. _"_

As Uryu watched, a wind began to blow around them.

'The air feels cold all of a sudden.'

Toshiro growled.

 _"Why are you acting so butt hurt all of a sudden? If she was anyone of any importance, I'd remember eating her."_

The air around Toshiro seemed to burst, and Uryu shielded his face with his arms.

"That's it!" he yelled.

When he lowered his arms, Uryu could only gape.

Toshiro was surrounded by glowing white aura.

'This reiatsu…How could he have this much in reserve?'

By Rukia, Urahara put his hands together.

"He's close, now."

The menos looked down at Toshiro and Uryu: the sudden increase in the reiatsu near it having caught its attention. A red glow began to surround its mouth.

"Um, Toshiro," Uryu said nervously, "you might want to open your eyes now."

"That monster." Rukia said. "It's really going to fire a cero _here?_

"Get out of there!" she creamed with all her might. "If that hits you there won't be an atom left!"

The menos opened its mouth, and a red beam of energy shot forth. Uryu jumped out of the way, but Toshiro just stood his ground.

"You idiot!" Uryu screamed. "Move!"

With a roar, Toshiro raised his sword to block the beam. The impact of the cero on the blade drove Toshiro to one knee, but the metal held under the onslaught.

Uryu watched in awe as Toshiro struggled against the cero.

'He still has his eyes closed! Does he even know what he's doing?'

Uryu had no way of knowing the voices that were going through Toshiro's mind, those of his late sister and of the Grand Fisher. But a third voice appeared as well, unbidden.

 **Hear Me**

Toshiro opened his eyes, feeling the pressure against his sword suddenly decrease. He screamed as he swung with all his strength, and the cero was deflected back at the menos.

The beam struck the gigantic hollow just above the hole in its chest, knocking it back. As the menos fell, it grabbed the edges of the crack in the sky to right itself.

"Great." Uryu muttered, readying his bow. But the menos did not come through the crack again.

It pulled the crack closed.

Toshiro leaned forward, completely out of breathe.

"Did-did my sword get longer for a second?"

Urahara closed his eyes. "He almost had it."

"Toshiro..." Rukia said in shock.

"It really left." Uryu said. He looked at Toshiro. "He really did it."

Toshiro looked at Uryu and smiled. He dropped his sword and collapsed.

"Toshiro!" Uryu ran over to him.

'He's just exhausted.' he thought with relief. 'And after that he has a right to be.'

"You know something, Toshiro? You're one scary kid."

* * *

In a dark, barren world, a terrible sound resounded for miles, frightening away all creatures.

It was the sound of a wounded Menos Grande screaming.

The monster writhed and twitched as it continued to scream. It fell forward, causing a cloud of dust large enough to be considered a sandstorm to arise.

The dust circled the beast as if it was the center of a tornado, and when it cleared, there was no longer a black figure on the ground.

Now the figure was bright, and instead of tall, it was long.

"Shini…gami…" it breathed.

* * *

"Now that was an eventful day!" Urahara said happily as his group walked back to their store.

"We could have taken on the menos." Jinta said dejectedly.

"Yes." Tessai said. "But that was not the point. I think I see what the manager sees in that boy now."

They crossed the fence between the sidewalk and the store, and Urahara stopped.

"What is it?" Jinta asked. Urahara was staring at a spot on the ground unusually seriously.

There was something there, something staring at them all.

"What?" Jinta asked again. "It's just a cat. Or do you think black cats are cursed or something?"

"Jinta." Tessai warned.

Urahara threw his hands up.

"Yoruichi!" he squeled.

* * *

The former Menos Grande slithered through the sand.

'I'll get that Shinigami.' it thought. 'He will regret what he did to-to'

'What _is_ my name? I can't remember. Better think of one.'

The hollow thought long and hard before deciding on a name.

"Tier…Harribel."


	8. Chapter 8

Toshiro tossed and turned as he slept.

He was once again in the icy plain, face to face with a giant blue dragon.

 **Child**

'That voice.' Toshiro realized. 'It's the same one from before.'

 **My Name Is**

"I can't hear you!"

The dragon roared its frustration.

* * *

Rukia lay in her closet.

'This can't be kept a secret.' she thought. 'For a Menos Grande to appear in the world of the living and be beaten back by a human child. The Soul Society will find out about this soon, if they haven't already.'

"Hey, Rukia!" Toshiro yelled, knocking on the closet door. "It's time for school! Rukia!"

Rukia shoved the door open. "Don't be so pushy!" she said irritably.

"Is something wrong?" Toshiro asked.

"No." she said sternly, pushing past him.

'That was weird.' Toshiro thought as he watched her go. 'Sure, we haven't been on the best of terms since the whole Grand Fisher thing, but it's been me who's avoided talking about it. Why would my beating something much worse than the Grand Fisher make her even more upset?'

* * *

"Rukia!"

The voice drove Rukia out of her brooding thoughts and she put on her fake smile.

"Oh, hi Orihime. How are you doing?"

Orihime jogged to catch up before settling in beside Rukia at a leisurely pace.

"I'm fine. In fact, I'm really excited about summer vacation! I'm just bursting with energy!"

"That's nice." Rukia said, surprising herself by actually meaning it.

"Do you have any plans for the summer, Rukia?"

"I might."

Orihime leaned closer, expecting a more detailed response.

"Like what?" she asked when none was forthcoming. "Are you doing something with Toshiro?"

"No." Rukia sighed. "The truth is, I'm trying to decide right now what I should do."

"Then why don't you come with Tatsuki and me to the fireworks festival next week?"

"Fireworks festival?"

"Yeah. Every year we have one to celebrate the beginning of the summer. It's amazing. You really must go."

"I'll think about it."

"Awwww." Orihime complained. "That's what adults say whenever they don't plan on doing something and don't want to say so."

* * *

"Yoruiiiichiii!" Urahara called. "I've got your milk!"

There was no response.

"Now where has that cat gone to?"

He stepped outside of the store, where the black cat was staring at the sky.

"Here you go." he said, half singing as he put the bowl of mil down.

"It's time you dropped that act." Yoruichi said in a startlingly deep voice. "I heard about what's going on, Urahara. We both know what's coming."

Urahara looked up at the sky as well.

"Do you want to talk about it before or after your milk?"

* * *

Uryu did not show up at school until after lunch. When he arrived his arms were covered in bandages most of the way up his forearms.

"Ishida?" the teacher asked. "How did you get hurt so badly?"

"I fell down a flight of stairs." he said nonchalantly.

"Stairs." the teacher asked skeptically.

"Yes. Stairs."

Much of the class stared at him as he took his seat.

'Top of the class,' Toshiro wondered, 'and _that's_ the best story he could come up with?'

One student however, was looking not at Uryu, but out of the classroom window.

'For an instant,' Rukia reflected, 'I seriously considered taking Orihime up on that offer to go to the fireworks festival. I can't believe I even thought I should be here any longer.

'It's been more than a week now since I was ordered back to the Soul Society, and my powers still haven't returned. After yesterday's incident, they'll no longer consider this a minor matter.

'I have only one choice.'

* * *

Two figures in black appeared over the central park of Karakura Town.

"I'm checking for higher than usual reiatsus." one said, looking around. "So far nothing. If there is someone with Shinigami powers here, they're doing a good job keeping themselves hidden."

* * *

"Toshiro!" Rukia called as they were leaving school.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around. "A hollow?"

Rukia's eyes darted to the side. "No. Not this time."

"Then what?"

"I-I wanted to ask you, what your plans are for the summer."

"Oh." Toshiro thought for a second. "I was going to stick around, but now that you mention it, if Uryu's going to be able to take care of the hollows on his own I might go on a trip. It's been a long time since I've had had a chance to relax."

"I see." Rukia fidgeted uncomfortably. "And…are you feeling all right?"

"What?"

"After yesterday. Most Shinigami would need to take along rest after facing a Menos."

"Sure. I was worn out yesterday, but today I'm fine.

"In fact," Toshiro said seriously, "after yesterday I feel a lot more confident about being a Shinigami."

"That's good."

"Listen, Rukia, I'm sorry about what I said that time after the Grand Fisher fight. I was upset."

"We both were."

"I know." Toshiro smiled. "But things are looking up now. I actually feel like this is working out for the first time."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Rukia looked down. 'How can I tell him?'

* * *

She ran through the night.

 _"I've never had a friend to watch movies with. It's a different experience from watching them by myself."_

'I should have left after he said that. There is no place in a Shinigami's life for friendship with a human. I do not belong here.'

 _"Great! You can try out my new recipe! Peanut butter with olives and anchovies cooked with-"_

'I'm ashamed. I let myself grow attached to these people, to this environment. I actually _wanted_ to stay longer.

'This is the end of that. No more hiding behind children for me. I'll move on to a different town, then to a different country, and when my powers return I'll be able to-'

"We've found you," a voice said from behind and above her, "Rukia Kuchiki."

Slowly, trembling with grim apprehension, Rukia turned around.

"Renji."

* * *

"They're here." Yoruichi said.

"Yes." Urahara acknowledged.

"Are you going to the boy now?"

Urahara shook his head. "I don't believe it's necessary."

* * *

The man with the long, red hair tied in a large ponytail leapt down and drew his sword. Rukia backed up instinctively.

"You had a pursuer from the Soul Society following you and you didn't even notice until I spoke?" he spat. "I don't care if you _are_ in a gigai. In just two months you've gotten way to soft."

He raised his sword and pointer it at her. "Spit it out, Rukia."

When she did not answer he yelled in frustration. "Where's the stinking human who took your powers!?"

"What are you talking about?" she protested. "Just because I'm in a gigai doesn't mean I lost my powers! Furthermore," she said with all the authority she could muster, "who says the one who supposedly took them is a human?"

"He _is_ human." Renji said flatly. "Otherwise you wouldn't look so worried about him!"

Rukia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake at being unable to hide her feelings.

"You're just another kid from Rukungai like me." Renji said. "And yet you got taken in by the noble Kuchiki family. With all the money and training spent on you, you were to become one of the Shinigami elite."

He pointed at her. "You're Rukia _Kuchiki!_ It's not right for you to have such a human expression on your face. Isn't that right, Captain Kuchiki?"

Rukia froze. Slowly, as if her neck was a rusty lever, she turned her head to see the man standing behind her.

"Byakuya…brother."

"Rukia." Byakuya said emotionlessly.

"Hya!" Renji yelled, swinging his sword down at Rukia. She jumped out of the way, but her face was still cut from the attack.

"The transfer of Shinigami powers to a human is a class one felony." he said. "Leaving your capture to us instead of the correction corps was probably the brass' version of mercy.

"Now spill it, Rukia. Stop trying to hide the one who has your powers." He raised his sword over her head. "Don't think you dodged my attack before. I _let_ you avoid it. This time I won't miss, unless you give him up."

Rukia was surprised to see Renji suddenly squint, and even more surprised to see him react and move out of the way of a blue bolt of energy.

"Who the hell did that?"

Rukia turned around. Uryu was walking towards them, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"My, my. Two men with swords attacking an unarmed girl. I don't like that sort of thing."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Renji demanded.

"Just a classmate of Rukia's. One who hates Shinigami."

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked.

"That hardly matters right now, Rukia." Uryu held up his hand, summoning his bow.

* * *

Toshiro yawned as he got ready for bed.

'I guess Rukia went to sleep early. She did seem kind of tired today.'

He wrapped himself in his blanket.

'That dream I've been having. The voice is definitely the same one I heard when I fought that Menos Grande, but I started having those dreams long before I got Shiniami powers.

'What does it mean?'

Suddenly, Toshiro bolted up.

"Holy!" he yelled, looking out of the window.

'Those reiatsus that just appeared, they're insane!'

"Rukia!" he yelled, knocking on the closet door. When there was no answer he pulled it open. The closet was empty.

"Of all the times-Zilla." he realized.

"Zilla!" he called. "Where are you?"

He searched under his bed, in his drawers, and all over his room

"Damn it. Where the heck is he? Snooping around the house while everyone's asleep?"

Toshiro left his room and started looking through the house. He began with the living room, half expecting to find Zilla watching television when no one was around, but there was no toy to be found there at all, animate or otherwise. He checked the kitchen next.

Toshiro then began looking in the bathrooms. He quickly ruled out the ones he used. Soon the only places left in the house were the other bedrooms and the master bathroom. Deciding that the bathroom would be the easiest to check without waking anyone else he carefully snuck inside it.

Toshiro heard the sounds of a mumbled struggle. He found Zilla attached with scotch tape to the back of the toilet and his mouth was taped shut. Toshiro brought him back to his room before freeing his mouth.

"Ouch!" Zilla said. "What took you so long? I was stuck there for hours! I didn't care who the next person to come in was anymore! I was gonna scream for help like my life depended on it!"

"I never use the master bathroom. What happened?"

"It was Rukia!"

"Rukia?"

"Yeah! I saw her writing something earlier. When I asked her what it was she grabbed me and did this to me!"

Toshiro rubbed his chin. "She put you in a place where I wouldn't be able to find you easily, then disappeared. Now two huge reaitsus show up, and without either of you I couldn't turn into a Shinigami."

"Huge…reiatsus?"

"It's time to switch, Zilla. Rukia's in trouble."

* * *

Uryu collapsed in a pool of blood.

"That's what you get when a human tries to fight a Shinigami." Renji said.

'Renji's improved his skills again!' Rukia observed. 'With my full powers I wouldn't even stand a chance against him!

Renji raised his sword to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, the pavement beneath his feet rose and cracked, forcing him to jump away to keep his balance.

"What now?" he complained, looking at the source of the newest distraction.

A small figure was hunched over several meters from where Renji had just been standing, holding a long sword to the smashed pavement.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

The figure rose, and it was still extremely small. "Toshiro Hitsugaya. And you are?"

'Toshiro!' Rukia thought, beginning to panic. 'What's he doing here? I thought he wouldn't be able to find Zilla for a least a day! That idiot! Why couldn't he just keep away?'

Renji smiled. "Renji Abarai. You're one tiny Shinigami, aren't you?" Then Renji saw his sword. "With a freaking _long_ Zanpakuto. What squad are you with?"

'The size of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto is proportionate to the size of their reiatsu.' Renji thought. 'How can someone so small have one that big?'

He took his eyes from the sword to study Toshiro again.

"I get it. You're the human who took Rukia's powers."

"What makes you think that?" Toshiro asked.

"The way you carry yourself. A real Shinigami wouldn't have their head bowed down like that. They'd look their opponents _in the eye!"_

Renji sprang at Toshiro, bringing his Zanpakuto down on the boy's and not letting up. Toshiro was able to block each strike, but was forced to back up.

"Come on!" Renji screamed. "Is that huge Zanpakuto just for show!?"

He stepped back, and Toshiro finally took a swing at him. But Renji had already leapt over him. He brought his sword around while Toshiro was still out of position, and scored a direct hit on Toshiro's left shoulder.

Toshiro fell to his knees, holding the wound.

"Toshiro!" Rukia yelled.

"It's over." Renji said. "You'll die, and the powers will go back to Rukia. Then she'll go back to the Soul Society to stand trial for her crimes. She may even die."

"Bastards." Toshiro whispered to himself.

"But man, are you a stupid little runt." Renji held his head up as if overcome with laughter. "Rukia left by herself so you wouldn't get involved. She was trying to save you! And you decided to come here and get yourself killed anyway.

"What did you expect? You're just a human who became a Substitute Shinigami. You could never hope to even put a scratch on us real one-"

Renji stopped and raised his hand to his chin. He was bleeding.

"If 'real' Shinigami distract themselves so easily," Toshiro said, brandishing his sword, "then this is going to be easy."

"Why you-" Renji breathed.

"You were careless, Renji."

Renji stopped. "Captain…"

"This boy," Byakuya said, "I've seen him before. The Secret Mobile Corps reported the other day that he inflicted a wound on a Menos Grande and sent it back to Hueco Mundo."

This time Renji really was overcome with laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me! The Secret Mobile Corps must be slipping!" He pointed at Toshiro. _"This_ kid wounded a _Menos Grande!?_ I couldn't believe that even if I wanted to!

"Just look at him, captain! He's not even old enough to know his Zanpakuto's name!"

"Zanpakuto's…name?" Toshiro asked, looking at his sword.

 _ **My Name Is**_

 _ **Wield Me**_

'The dreams-does he mean there's a spirit in my sword that's trying to communicate with me?'

"I knew it." Renji scoffed. "You don't know your sword's name. Someone like that trying to take me on is _two thousand years too early!"_

Renji held his sword up and ran his hand over it.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

Renji's sword transformed before Toshiro's eyes. It lengthened and split into six connected segments, each with two, long, sharp, pick-like protrusions.

Renji threw his arm forward, and his sword shot forth even farther than its length. The six joints, connected to each other by impossibly flexible joints, separated, giving the Zanpakuto a whip-like function.

Toshiro did not even try to block the attack. Instead he stepped to the side and let it pass him.

"Look out!" Rukia warned.

Toshiro had no time to even comprehend what happened next. The Zanpakuto spun around and raked him across the back, each pick-like protrusion digging deeper than the last.

Again, Toshiro fell forward, and this time, he dropped his sword.

"Sorry about that, kid." Renji said, not sounding apologetic at all. "But that's what's called a power gap." His sword pulled itself back together, and he raised it over Toshiro's head.

"Good bye."

"No!"

Rukia jumped on top of Renji, grabbing his sword arm to keep him from bringing it down.

"Stop this, Renji! He's just a child!"

"What are you doing?" Renji demanded of her. "Are you trying to make things worse for yourself?"

"Toshiro, if you can stand, please listen to me! You've got to run!"

Renji threw her to the ground. "That's enough out of you!" He turned back to Toshiro, who had picked up his sword and was starting to rise.

"You can still stand after that wound?" Renji asked, impressed. "Good. I was thinking it would be a shame to finish off someone who couldn't move anymore. What the hell are you mumbling about?"

Toshiro was looking at the ground whispering to himself. He raised a hand and looked straight at Renji.

"Bakudo Number Nine! Geki!"

A red energy surrounded Renji, freezing him in place. He grunted as he struggled against the spell, but ultimately could not even move his sword arm.

"You-taught-him- _kido_?" he growled at Rukia through clenched teeth. He was about to say more, but was stopped by the tip of Toshiro's sword appearing within an inch of his throat.

'He actually cast a bakudo spell powerful enough to hold Renji!' Rukia thought. 'This just makes it that much more likely that I'm going to face the death penalty.'

"This time it really is over." Toshiro said. "Go back where you came from, and I'll let you go."

Renji's eyes narrowed as he stared into Toshiro's.

"Go ahead. Do it."

"What?"

"I was wondering why you didn't kill me when you had two opportunities to do so before, especially when you first arrived. Now I see. You don't have the guts to kill me." He smirked. "Killing hollows that look like monsters is easy. Killing someone who looks like a person-for a child like you it's impossible."

Toshiro's hands shook as he tried to think of a response.

"If I'm wrong then do it!"

Toshiro, Renji, and Rukia all stared at his Zanpakuto with open mouths. Most of the blade had disappeared, leaving a stump only a few inches long.

'What happened?' Toshiro wondered. He turned to Byakuya, who was still in the same spot he had been standing in the whole time, ten meters away. 'He couldn't have done anything at that distance.'

Toshiro's eyes widened as they saw what Byakuya was holding, the majority of a broken Zanpakuto.

Byakuya dropped the sword and reached for his own. Toshiro turned to face him.

The next thing Toshiro knew, there was a hole in his chest.

'How? He stabbed me, but I don't even know if it was from the front, or the back.'

He fell forward, and next to him Byakuya muttered "How slow, even when falling."

He stabbed Toshiro again in midfall.

Rukia screamed, running towards Toshiro. Renji, now able to free himself of the binding spell, grabbed her by the throat.

"Don't. He's already dead. Don't add twenty years to your sentence for someone too far gone to even notice."

Rukia looked away, unable to take it. Renji let her go, and she collapsed in a sobbing heap.

Renji shook his head, then looked at Byakuya. "There was no need for you to interfere, captain. I had the situation under control."

"Come now, Renji." Byakuya said. "Even I will grow rusty if all I ever do is watch from the sidelines. Now let's go. It is time we bring Rukia back to face her fate."

"No…"

Byakuya looked down. Toshiro had pulled himself up slightly by grabbing onto the leg of Byakuya's kimono.

Rukia and Renji both gaped. 'How can he still be alive after being stabbed twice by Captain Kuchiki?' Renji wondered.

"You're….not…taking anyone…anywhere." Toshiro said in a pained voice.

Rukia appeared between him and Byakuya, kicking his hand away.

"Filthy human." she spat. "How _dare_ you touch my brother."

Toshiro could only stare in shock as Rukia turned to Byakuya.

"I am ready to go back now, brother. This human's actions have opened my eyes. I will accept whatever punishment is awaiting me."

She nodded at Toshiro. "Let us go now. There is no need to waste a killing blow on this."

"Rukia…" Toshiro said, despair mixing with the pain in his voice.

Byakuya took another look at Toshiro. "Very well. We will leave now."

"Captain!" Renji said.

"I shattered his soul chain and soul sleep." Byakuya said. "His powers are gone for good, and with his his injuries he will bleed to death within the hour. Open the gate so we can leave this world."

"Very well sir." Renji stepped forward and held his sword as if he were performing a konso. A wooden gate appeared in midair. It opened, and the three Shinigami from the Soul Society stepped towards it.

"Wait…" Toshiro said, trying to crawl forwards.

"Stop." Rukia ordered. The venom in her voice did stop him.

"Just try to come after me. Just try to take one more step." She turned around, and Toshiro saw that her face was contorted with anger even as tears gushed from her eyes.

 _"I'll never forgive you!"_

The hatred in her final words tore through Toshiro as hard as Renji and Byakuya's Zanpakuto. She turned and followed the others into gate, leaving a dying and despondent Toshiro.

"Ru…kia…"


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing Toshiro noticed was the pain. He was experiencing a great deal of it.

'I'm alive.' he realized.

"You're also awake, it seems."

Toshiro blinked. He must have fidgeted, but it was more than a little creepy that the speaker had known what he was thinking.

"Hat and Clogs." Toshiro whispered.

"The one and only." Urahara said, bowing slightly.

"You saved me?"

"Of course! How else could you still be breathing after fighting a captain?"

Toshiro frowned and looked around the room he was in. The design was old, being made entirely of wood without any plaster.

Toshiro was shirtless, and his chest, shoulders, and back were covered in bandages.

"Aren't you going to say thank you?" Urahara asked.

"Why should I?" Toshiro scoffed. "As usual, you waited until the fight was over to make an appearance. With all of you helping I might have stood a chance."

"Ah."Urahara said, pulling the brim of his hat down. "That is exactly why I did _not_ interfere. I wanted you to see the difference between their strength and yours."

"I'm sick of these games of yours!" Toshiro yelled, sitting up quickly. He hunched over as the sudden movement caused a sharp pain in his chest.

"Don't overstrain yourself." Urahara cautioned. "You'll reopen your wounds."

"Sure," Toshiro breathed, holding his chest, _"now_ you care. What about when Rukia and I were fighting for our lives? What would you do if we were killed while you watched? Uryu and I were left for dead, and Rukia was taken away!"

Urahara glared at him from under the brim of his hat, but spoke softly to show that he was not upset. "How does that saying go? 'The more you know, the more realize how little you actually know?'"

Toshiro returned Urahra's glare, only actually meaning it. "Are you saying that you saved Rukia and Uryu too?"

"The Quincy is fine. I was able to fix him up on the spot. He's home now."

"And Rukia?"

Urahara sighed. "I'm afraid she's been taken back to the Soul Society to be executed."

Toshiro sighed, closed his eyes, and laid back down.

"Not the reaction I was expecting." Urahara observed.

"What were you expecting? For me to start yelling about the need to go recue her? I know a lost cause when I see one. That man, Rukia's brother. He said my powers are gone."

"They are." Urahara admitted.

Toshiro slammed his fist into the ground to his right.

"And even with my powers I was useless!" He sighed again. "Real Shinigami are in a totally different league from me at my best."

 _"Filthy human."_

'She sounded so angry when she said that.' he reflected. 'Like that's really what she thought of me.'

"Did you already forget what I said?" Urahara asked. "That I let you go into this fight to show you the difference in strength?"

Tosho tuned his head towards Urahara again. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that your powers can be restored. If you so choose, you can go to the Soul Society to save Miss Kuchiki."

Toshiro's eyes widened.

"You're serious."

"Deadly serious."

Urahara turned around and began to walk out. "Don't make your decision right now. Give yourself a day to heal, and to think. You may decide that you no longer want to be a Shinigami. No one would think less of you if that was your decision."

Left alone, Toshiro sat up and began flexing his hand. He no longer felt the same strength flowing through it.

'I'm not a Shinigami anymore.'

* * *

It was the last day of school before summer vacation, but unlike the other students, Toshiro was not thinking about camp or the beach or spending weeks doing nothing but sleep.

'I never wanted to be a Shinigami in the first place.' he thought as he walked to school. 'It was forced on me on and I hated it.

'I'm still just a kid.' he reasoned later. 'Why should I risk my life all the time? Uryu can handle most of the hollows that would come around. There's no need for the town to have its own Shinigami.'

* * *

At the beginning of class, Toshiro noticed two empty desks: Rukia's and Uryu's. As the teacher read down the attendance list she paused at Uryu's name.

"Ishida's absent again? Hmm…It's a shame that a student like that should miss the last day.

"Next, Misora."

Toshiro started. He was sure that he had not heard correctly. The teacher had not skipped over Rukia's completely.

But it was the same throughout the day. Everyone wondered what was up with Uryu. No one even noticed that there was another student missing.

It was unnerving. Rukia was not only gone, but all traces of her presence had been removed as well.

'It is bad enough that she's been taken to be killed, but for it to be like she never existed at all…It's wrong.'

* * *

Toshiro walked home from school very troubled.

"Toshiro!"

He turned his head. "Oh, Orihime."

She looked at him seriously.

"What is it?"

"Toshiro, what happened with Rukia?"

He stopped. "What?"

"She didn't show up to school, and no one even remembers her! Why?"

Toshiro shrugged. "I don't know."

Orihime shook her head sadly. "Don't play games with me, Toshiro. I know you're a Shinigami."

Toshiro spun around in shock.

"How-"

"I've seen you and Rukia and Uryu fighting those monsters."

Toshiro groaned and ran his hand through his bangs. "Can't keep anything a secret anymore."

"So what happened to Rukia?"

Toshiro looked away, unsure of how to answer.

"She went back to where she came from."

"Oh." Orihime said, relieved. "I was worried it was something worse."

"She could die."

Orihime bit her lip as she internalized what Toshiro had said.

"What are you going to do?"

Toshiro turned away, looking at his toes.

"I don't know."

"You-you wouldn't leave her like that."

He looked up. Orihime had said it as a statement of fact, not as a question.

"Thanks. I've got to get going. I need to think."

"All right."

Toshiro looked in the direction he had been walking, towards his home, and then in the direction of the Urahara Shop.

'If Orihime could still remember Rukia, it must be because of her high spiritual power. So the fact that _I_ still remember Rukia must mean that I still have a strong spiritual power too.

'Even without my Shinigami powers, I'd still see spirits and hollows. I'd still see them attack people. I can't just sit by when that happens.

'And there is still the matter of the Grand Fisher. I promised I'd kill him for Momo, though any psychologist would tell me to forget about it. Still, he will be coming for me again someday, and that is one hollow I can't count on Uryu to stop.'

 _"You wouldn't leave her like that."_

'I'm not as certain as Orihime that that's the sort of person I am. I know I wasn't just two months ago.

 _"Don't be selfish!_

 _"Shinigami must treat all souls equally. Wanting to save only those you see in front of you, this line of work is not that convenient."_

'Is that what you meant back then Rukia?'

* * *

"So you've decided." Urahara said when Toshiro entered his store.

"I have."

"Then come downstairs."

Toshiro followed Urahara through a trap door in the back of the shop. Toshiro squinted as they entered a room that was brightly lit.

"Whoa!" Urahara exclaimed. "Who knew that there was such a big space under my store?"

Toshiro's eyes began to adjust to the light, and he saw that they were in a vast expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see. While it was already nighttime above, in the strange, rocky world beneath Urahara's Shop there were somehow clear, sunny skies. Close by were all of the employees of the Urahara Shop.

"Psst." Urahara whispered. "This is the part where you say something in admiration."

"Let's get on with it already." Toshiro said.

"All right." Urahara walked a small distance away, then began to speak in a serious tone.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Toshiro, but if I'm not mistaken, you began having strange dreams soon after your sister was murdered by a hollow. Dreams involving a voice."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Am I wrong?"

"No."

"I thought so. You, Toshiro Hitsugaya are perhaps the most interesting human in existence, in that you began to manifest Shinigami powers even before ever encountering a Shinigami."

 _"You don't know your sword's name."_

"What does that mean?" Toshiro asked, matching Urahra's seriousness.

"It means that when Byakuya Kuchiki stabbed you, he only removed the powers you gained from his sister, not those you were already developing on your own."

Toshiro nodded. "I've noticed that my reiatsu is still well above that of most people."

"Good." Urahara came close to Toshiro again. He raised his cane and poked him in the forehead with it. Toshiro fell out of his body.

But this time was different. Unlike when he had turned into a Shinigami, Toshiro's soul form wore the same clothes as his physical body. He also had a chain connecting his chests together.

"But as you can see, having higher than normal reiatsu is not the same as having Shinigami powers. We're going to have to wake it up."

"How?"

Suddenly, an axe, swung by Tessai, came down between Toshiro and his body, severing the chain keeping Toshiro alive.

Before Toshiro could even scream in protest, a giant sink hole opened beneath him, and he fell all the way to the bottom.

Toshiro screamed as Tessai cast a binding spell on him to hold his arms behind his back in a straightjacket-like material.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Toshiro screamed, struggling against the bonds.

"Climb back up here!" Urahara yelled from the top of the hole. "If you can do that, your Shinigami powers will return!"

"How is that supposed to help!?" Toshiro yelled back. "And how am I supposed to do it without my arms!?"

Urahara ignored his questions. "Oh, and you've got three days before the chains eat themselves! When they're gone you'll turn into a hollow, and we'll have to kill you! So no pressure!"

"Eat themselves?" Toshiro looked at what several feet of chain still connected to his soul form. The end links has begun to sport mouths that were already chewing their way through the next links.

"Oh crap."

Toshiro bent his knees and leapt with all of his strength. He jumped nearly ten meters before falling back down to the bottom of the hole.

'Damn.' he thought. 'Didn't even come close. This kind of jump would be child's play if I had my powers back, but just having above average reiatsu won't cut it.'

Toshiro looked at the top of the hole.

'Even if I could jump that high, it doesn't make sense that that should restore my Shinigami powers. It must be that I'm supposed to jump out after getting them back, not as a prerequisite, but how?'

 _"You don't know your sword's name!"_

 _"Dreams involving a voice."_

* * *

"That's what Toshiro said?" Chad asked.

"Yes." Orihime answered, standing in his doorway. "This has got to be what Mr. Urahara was talking to us about the other day. Toshiro's going to go rescue Rukia, and he may need our help."

"I don't see how we can be of much help." Chad said. "We still don't even know how to use our powers."

"Then why don't you learn how?" a male voice said behind Orihime. She turned around, but there was no one there.

"Who spoke just now?" Chad asked, looking from above her.

"Down here." the voice said again. Chad and Orihime looked down to see a black cat standing in front of them.

"Did that cat just talk?" Chad asked in a monotone voice that belied his shock.

"My name is Yoruichi." the cat said. "If the two of you wish to use your powers to help Toshiro Hitsugaya, I can teach you how."

* * *

Jinta looked over the edge of the hole. "What's he doing? It looks like he's fallen asleep."

"Indeed he has." Urahara said. "Tessai!"

"What is it, manager?" the large man asked next to the sleeping Toshiro.

"Cut off all but the last five links!"

"But if I do that, he'll turn into a hollow almost immediately! He needs more of a chance!"

"No." Urahara declared. "He needs more of a push."

* * *

Toshiro opened his eyes and looked around. He was in dark, frozen plain.

"I made it."

 **"So you have finally come of your own free will."**

A wind gusted, knocking Toshiro over. The great blue dragon had approached.

"So you're my Zanpakuto." Toshiro said, getting up.

 **"It has taken you far too long to realize that, boy."**

"Sorry. I honestly thought these have been nightmares."

 **Boom!**

The wind suddenly increased in intensity, and the ground began to crack. Shards of ice rose into the air as the world shook ferociously.

Toshiro fell down again.

"Stop that!" he yelled.

 **"I am doing nothing, boy. This world is falling apart because you are transforming into a hollow even as we speak."**

"No." Toshiro breathed. "I can't be yet. It was supposed to take three days!

"Hat and Clogs." he growled.

* * *

Toshiro was screaming in agony as a white liquid began to swirl around his face. The liquid began to settle above his left eye, solidifying into part of a mask.

"Manager!" Tessai yelled. "It's too late! He's transforming! I must eliminate him now before he completes the transformation!"

"Not yet!" Urahara yelled. "Give him more time! He can still do this!"

* * *

Toshiro collapsed to all fours.

"This-this wasn't supposed to happen. This was just about getting my powers back."

 **"Why do you despair of that goal?"**

Toshiro looked at the dragon, his eyes full of fright.

 **"You are not yet a hollow, and the collapse of this world has freed the power that became dormant when Byakuya Kuchiki defeated you."**

"Freed it?"

 **"Yes. Do you see these ice shards that fill the air?"**

"Yes."

 **"Inside one of them is your power. All you must do is find it."**

Toshiro looked around. There were thousands, maybe millions of the ice shards all around.

"How?" he asked, panicking.

The dragon turned away.

 **"Perhaps you are too young to wield the power of a Shinigami after all."**

Toshiro slapped his own cheek, trying to force himself to remain calm.

'It's got to be something simple, something as easy as finding a red spirit thread among white ones.'

His eyes widened.

'Wait. Could it really be _that_ easy? The red threads _are_ supposed to symbolize Shinigami powers.'

He closed his eyes in concentration, and around him white threads shot out of each ice shard.

Toshiro looked around frantically. 'There's so many! I may still never find it!'

He leapt through the threads, desperately looking for a hint of red. The ground was beginning to pull itself apart.

"There!"

Toshiro saw it. The red thread, no more than five meters away. He leapt again, grabbing it and pulling on it.

The ice shard the red thread was connected to burst, revealing the hilt of a sword, a hilt with a four pointed guard.

'That's it!'

Toshiro turned to the dragon.

 **"What is wrong? You have found me. Grasp the handle."**

"I know."

 **"Then hurry! There is not much time left before this world is destroyed completely!"**

"I can hear you much more clearly this time." Toshiro said. "Is it because I chose to come?"

 **"Perhaps, but what does that-"**

"Before I go, tell me your name."

* * *

The mask was almost complete on Toshiro's face.

"I cannot wait any longer, manager!" Tessai yelled. "It must be now!"

He cast another bakudo spell, this one creating a large stone weight above the hole.

"Hey!" Jinta yelled. "That'll kill him!"

"I have no choice!"

The weight dropped directly onto Toshiro, and a bright light erupted from the whole. Urahara grabbed Jinta and Ururu and pushed them back to shield them. The light hit the ground fifteen meters away, creating a cloud of smoke.

The first thing the employees of the Urahara Shop noticed in the smoke was the black outfit. The second thing they noticed as the smoke began to clear was the white mask with the demonic markings.

"What happened?" Jinta asked. "Is he a Shinigami, or a hollow?"

Toshiro raised a hand and pulled the mask off of his face. He threw it to the ground contemptuously and glared at Urahara, who smiled.

"Good! You've got your powers back just in time!"

"Um, Mr. Urahara?" Ururu said. "He looks scarier than before."

"Oh, that's just because he's mad at me again. Though I don't think he'll stay that way. You can't argue with results!"

Toshiro said nothing, raising his hand to the blade sheathed across his back.

"Hyorinmaru."


	10. Chapter 10

Renji noticed for the first time that the halls he walked through were brightly lit. He thought it strange that he had never realized this truth about the aesthetics of the barracks of the Sixth Division of the Court Guard Squads. In the short time since he had become the squad's lieutenant, he had never had as much reason to be in such a dark mood as he was then and there.

The reason he was upset began teasing him as soon as he found her.

"Oh, what does the big _lieutenant_ want with me?" Rukia Kuchiki said from inside her cell.

"Shut up."

"Oh, I'm sorry, _lieutenant."_

"I said shut up!" he yelled. "Don't you understand the position you're in?"

Rukia nodded and sat down on the one piece of furniture in her cell, a wooden chair that faced the back wall and away from the bars Renji stood behind.

"Do you think I'm really going to be executed?" she asked grimly.

"What?" Renji asked, taken aback. "No! Captain Kuchiki is meeting to discuss your sentence now. I'm sure he'll ask for some sort of clemency."

Rukia looked down. "Then I am doomed."

Renji gripped the bars of the cell tightly. "That's ridiculous! He's your brother!"

Rukia turned her head enough for Renji to see one of her eyes narrow.

"In the forty years since I joined the Kuchiki house, not once has that man looked at me."

Rukia was proven right and Renji wrong when Byakuya Kuchiki finally returned. He recited the sentence robotically, as if he had been asked to memorize it.

"The class one felon, Rukia Kuchiki, shall be sentenced to death. The sentence will be carried out twenty-five days from now through the use of the Sokyoku. This is the final decision of the Soul Society."

As Byakuya left, Renji had to grab the prison bars again to steady his shaking knees. Rukia merely turned away and stared at the wall.

* * *

Tessai climbed down the ladder into Urahara's underground training facility.

"Manager," he said, "Yoruichi has returned."

"Thank you." Urahara said in an unusually deep voice. "Toshiro, would you please go upstairs for a bit? I need to finish checking out the gate."

Toshiro, having finally learned not to question the eccentricities of Mr. Hat and Clogs, gave him a perplexed look before following Tessai back into the shop.

Just outside were Orihime and Chad.

Toshiro blinked a few times to be certain that he was not seeing things.

"What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you." Orihime said.

"We both realize that we owe you and Rukia." Chad added.

Toshiro raised his hand, gesturing to them to stop. "So you can see me. That doesn't mean you can come with me. This is going to be really dangerous, and you two don't even have any powers."

"Neither did you, at one point." a deep voice said. "Things change."

Toshiro looked around to see who had spoken, but as far as he could tell there was no one there.

Orihime bent down and picked up a black cat. She held it up to Toshiro.

"Hello, Toshiro Hitsugaya." the cat said. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last. I am Yoruichi."

Toshiro raised both of his hands to his forehead. "Now there's a talking cat. As if my life wasn't weird enough."

"You're taking it better than I did." Chad said.

"These two have recently undergone extensive training just as you have." Yoruichi said. "You will find both of them quite capable."

"If you insist on going alone," a familiar voice said, "you're going to be sorely outvoted."

Toshiro looked around Orihime (being far too short to look over her) at the new arrival. "You, at least, I half-expected."

"I don't like living in the debt of Shinigami." Uryu said.

Toshiro analyzed him critically. Uryu was wearing the same Quincy uniform he had worn when he had first revealed himself to Toshiro and Rukia, but there was one addition, a white glove with blue stripes on only one of his hands.

"Am I to assume that you've been training yourself?" Toshiro asked.

"Of course." Uryu answered.

Toshiro looked at each of the three who were determined to become his companions on his mission.

"If we all go to the Soul Society, who'll be left to protect the town if hollows attack while we're gone?"

"Oh, you can count on us to take care of that." Urahara said from behind him, wiping his nose with a handkerchief.

"That just fills me with confidence." Toshiro muttered.

"What?" Urahara asked, acting insulted. "Don't you trust m-m-me- **achoooo!"**

"Are you all right?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah." Urahara said, wiping his nose again. "Yoruichi must've been talking about me a lot lately."

"Idiot." Yoruichi said, looking to the side. "I haven't mentioned your name all week."

"He caught a cold while we were training." Toshiro explained as Urahara sneezed even harder than the previous time.

"Well," Uryu said, "there's no way he's coming with us like that."

"No." Yoruichi said. "I will guide you. My knowledge of the Soul Society is about as extensive as Kisuke's."

"Well," Urahara said, his voice now higher than usual because he was speaking through a stuffed nose, "shall we get started?"

Underneath the store, Urahara revealed a large window-like structure made of hewn stone.

"This is the senkaimon. The gate to the Soul Society."

He paused to allow his guests to gaze in wonder, but even Orihime looked impatient.

"Get on with it." Yoruichi said.

"Very well. I must warn all of you that we can only keep this gate open for four minutes. You must reach the other side by then."

"And what happens if we don't?" Toshiro asked.

"You'll be- **achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! ACHOO!"**

Yoruichi shook his head. "And here he was doing so well. I guess I'll have to explain." He walked up to the gate and faced the four superpowered classmates.

"If you fail to reach the other end in time," Yoruichi said gravely, "you will be trapped in the space between worlds for eternity."

Toshiro bit his lip, then turned to the others. "I made my decision, but the rest of you can still back out."

"No way." Orihime said. Chad nodded.

"Don't make getting out-voted into a bad habit." Uryu said, pushing his glasses up. "You'd make a horrible politician."

The gate began to glow blue, and Urahara, having regained his composure, said "The gate is about to open. Please jump in simultaneously when it does."

They assembled right in front of the gate and waited.

"Now!" Yoruichi yelled as the light began to fade to reveal a rippling substance between the stones. The group all disappeared into the potal.

"They're off." Tessai said.

Jinta walked up to the portal. "So things are going to be pretty boring around here for a while, huh?"

"Maybe." Urahara said. "Bu-bu-bu- **ACHOOOOO!"**

Urahara took out his hankerchief. "That was a good one. I'm a lot less stuffed now."

He walked past a shaking Jinta, who was covered head to toe in snot.

Tessai looked him over. "Clean yourself up, young man."

"Y-yes, sir."

* * *

There was nothing but blackness, and yet they could see clearly.

"What's going on?" Uryu yelled as they ran through the precipice world between dimensions. The walls are closing in and following us!"

"If you have time to look behind you and talk," Yoruichi scolded, "then you should run faster."

No sooner had the words left Yoruichi's mouth than a liquidy tendril had shot out of the wall following them, ensnaring Uryu's cape. He screamed and struggled until Chad tore the cape off of him and lifted him over his shoulders.

"Thanks." Uryu muttered as Chad continued to run while carrying him. He was grateful that he was facing the other direction so no one could see his embarrassment.

'I didn't want to use my Heienkyaku because I couldn't carry any of them.' he thought. 'Well, maybe I could have carried Toshiro, but that would mean leaving the others behind.'

"Um, guys…" he said, continuing to look back. "There's a light heading toward us."

"It's the cleaner!" Yoruichi yelled. "Double time it! If that thing touches us we're done for!"

"I see the end!" Toshiro yelled. There was a light at the end of the tunnel that had just come into view.

"Move!" Yoruichi urged.

"We're not gonna make it" Uryu, the only one with a view of the cleaner's position, yelled.

Orihime turned around. The others yelled her name, but she paid them no heed.

"Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Santen Keshu! I reject!"

A triangle shaped barrier of energy appeared between them and the cleaner. The impact caused an explosion that blew the rescue party through the exit of the tunnel.

They materialized in midair and all fell to the ground painfully.

Yoruichi was the only one to land on his feet.

"What's wrong with you?" he scolded Orihime. "Turning around like that! If anything other than your shield had touched the cleaner you'd have been sucked in forever!"

"I'm sorry."

"That's enough." Toshiro said. "Orihime probably saved us all with her move. We wouldn't have gotten out if not for her."

They looked around. They had landed in an old looking straight out of feudal Japan with unpaved roads.

"So this is Soul Society." Uryu said. "It looks like it's from the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries."

"I don't see any people around." Toshiro said. The child in him could not help but think 'This is really another world!'

"They're here." Yoruichi assured him. "They're probably hiding from us because we fell out of the sky.

"This is Rukongai. It is the first place most souls go to when they die. It is a territory that surrounds the Seretei, which is where the Shinigami reside."

"There's an area over there that's paved and looks more modern." Toshiro said, pointing in the direction of the different-looking area.

"That's the edge of the Seretei."

Toshiro motioned in the direction of the Seretei. "Let's go."

The humans ran towards the Seretei, over Yoruichi's objections.

"Don't approach that place recklessly!"

A great wall came down between them and the Seretei with a loud thud.

Toshiro looked from side to side. More sections of a thirty meter tall wall were falling into place, kicking up large clouds of dust.

"They came out of thin air." Orihime said.

Toshiro nodded. "Like we did. They must hide these walls in the precipice world until an intruder shows up."

"It's actually a pretty ingenious defense system."

"Thank you, intruder. It is always nice to be complimented."

Toshiro and the others looked at the clearing smoke in front of them to find the source of the voice.

"It has been a long time since anyone has tried to breach the gate of pure souls without a pass."

Before them stood a giant, fifteen meters tall and eight meters wide. He wore Shinigami clothes.

"What is he?" Uryu asked Yoruichi. "I thought Shinigami were supposed to be the same size as humans."

"He is Jidanbou." Yoruichi said. "He is one of those chosen to guard the four great gates of the Seretei. For three hundred years he has guarded the western gate, and not once has he allowed an intruder to enter his gate."

Jidanbou raised a gigantic axe that was as thick as a man is wide.

"Who will be the first to fight me?" he asked.

Toshiro stepped forward. "I will."

"Wait." Yoruichi cautioned. "You will need a plan. It may take all of us to defeat him."

Jidanbou laughed. "I think not! In this town we have a rule: All battles are fought one on one!"

He swung his axe over Toshiro's head at the ground behind him, carving into the ground. A barrier of stones separated Toshiro from the rest of the group.

Toshiro did not react at all to Jidanbou's move. His hand slowly moved to the hilt of his sword.

Behind the stones Jidanbou had thrown up, Chad and Orihime were crouching, preparing for action.

"I'm going to punch a hole right through this rock." Chad said. "The moment I do, you use your attack. He won't be prepared for it."

"Right."

"What are you whispering?" Jidanbou roared. "My ears are as big as the rest of me, so don't try any funny plans."

"You can stay out of this one." Toshiro yelled back. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Uryu called.

"Yeah. This guy's a pushover compared to the two we fought that last time."

"A…pushover?"

'Now that he mentions it,' Uryu thought, 'this guy's reiatsu doesn't seem all that high.' He closed his eyes to be able to concentrate on the strength of their foe. 'Is it because it's less than the reiatsus of those other Shinigami, or does it just seem that way because we've become that much stronger?'

"Is that all?" Jidanbou asked, growing impatient.

"Yes." Toshiro drew his Zanpakuto completely and assumed a fighting stance. "We can fight now."

Jidanbou grinned from ear to ear. "Good." He raised his axe above his head and swung it down with all of his might at Toshiro.

Toshiro swung his sword in an upward direction. The weapons met with a sound of thunder.

Uryu and Orihime screamed as an extremely large metal object flew over the stone wall at them. They and Chad just jumped out of the way in time to avoid getting crushed.

In front of the barrier, Jidanbou stared at his hand. It held only a large wooden stump.

Youichi leapt on top of the metal object now embedded in the ground.

"So he destroyed Jidanbou's axe with his first attack."

"M-my a-ax-axe…" Jidanbaou whimpered.

 **"My axe! Why'd you have to destroy my axe!"** He began sobbing uncontrollably and pounding the ground.

"Um, sorry." Toshiro said, stunned by the turn of events. "I was in a hurry so I wanted to end the fight quickly, and that seemed like a better idea than actually hurting you."

"No." Jidanbou continued to sob. 'You care, even though you're my enemy." He picked Toshiro up by his sides.

"What a kind-hearted person you are."

"Um…er…" Toshiro looked down, not happy about being lifted off of the ground.

Jidanbou put him down, much to Toshiro's relief. "Look at me! I'm crying like a baby over an axe! I'm a disgrace as a man!"

He threw his hands up in resignation. "It's a total defeat!"

"Um, does that mean we can pass?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes." Jidanbou said. "I will open the gate for you now."

As Jidanbou turned to open the gate the rest of the group came forward.

"Toshiro's really strong, isn't he?" Orihime asked.

'It's more than that.' Uryu realized. 'He _knows_ how much his strength has improved, probably because he had Urahara to compare himself again.

'He doesn't consciously hold back, because he wants to win as quickly and as easily as possible. That hasn't changed. But he did not release his Zanpakuto the way Renji Abarai did. I thought that that was what Urahara wanted to teach him the most.

'If Toshiro can release his Zanpakuto, it doesn't make sense for him not to, unless…'

"Wow." Orihime said as Jidanbou lifted the massive gate up over his head. "I didn't think anyone could lift something that big."

"It helps to be a giant." Yoruichi said.

They began to walk past Jidanbou, but Toshiro, who was still first, stopped.

A white haired man in Shinigami clothes and a white kimono stood before them.

"Who is that?"

Jibanbou was shaking uncontrollably.

"That looks like a captain." Yoruichi said.

"A captain?"

 _Byakuya dropped the sword and reached for his own. Toshiro turned to face him._

 _The next thing Toshiro knew, there was a hole in his chest._

"Y-yes." Jidanbou stammered. "That is the captain of squad three, Gin Ichimaru."

"Damn it." Toshiro said. 'To fight another captain: I never imagined this would happen so quickly. What are we supposed to do?'

There was a flash of light, and Jidanbou's arm burst in an explosion of blood. All of the rescue party stared in shock as his arm fell the humungous gate collapsed onto his shoulders.

'I wasn't paying enough attention.' Toshiro thought. 'If he had targeted one of us with that attack we'd be dead.'

He focused on the captain. 'But if he tries that sword extension technique again I should be able to dodge from that distance. Unless he can make it even faster than that.'

"Not good at all." Gin said, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"I lost." Jidanbou admitted. "Once I lost, I had no choice but to open the gate."

"No," Gin said, his smile widening, "when a gatekeeper loses, he doesn't open the gate.

"It means death."

"Toshiro!" Yoruichi yelled. "We have to retreat!"

"Right." Toshiro said. He and the others turned and ran. "Drop the gate, Jidanbou!"

It seemed that the giant could not have held it up much longer anyway. He fainted right after letting the gate go, his body going into shock.

The gate slammed down with a thud and the rescue party stood behind it, farther from their goal than before.

"Now how are we supposed to get in?" Toshiro asked in frustration.


	11. Chapter 11

The rescue party turned around at the sound of a commotion behind them. People were streaming out of the buildings around and gathering in front of them. The sheer amount of murmuring among them caused the air to fill with a buzzing noise.

"If they were here and hiding," Uryu asked, "why come out now?"

"They were afraid of us." Yoruichi said.

"Afraid?"

"Wouldn't you be scared if a bunch of odd-looking people fell out of the sky?" Toshiro asked. "But that still doesn't answer the question of why they're coming out now. Do they think we're enemies for trying to get through the gate?"

The rescue party moved into positions that would allow them to quickly grab their weapons or use their powers.

"Wait."

The murmuring stopped as an old, balding man with a long white beard stepped forward.

He bowed slightly. "I am the chief of West Rukon. I was watching the entire incident. As Jidanbou's saviors, I welcome you all."

"How are we that giant's saviors?" Uryu asked again.

"I told him to drop the gate." Toshiro said. "He probably would have been killed otherwise."

The residents began to gather around the unconscious Jidanbou to inspect the wound on his arm.

"There are many arrogant, cruel Shinigami." one resident explained. "But Jidanbou is different. He was from Rukon originally and always treated us kindly."

"That's a serious wound." another one said. "I doubt he'll ever be able to use that arm again."

"Not to worry!" Orihime exclaimed. "I can fix him right up!"

The murmuring broke out again, even louder than before.

"You can heal wounds like that?"

Orihime beamed. "Leave it to me." She walked up to Jidanbou's arm and stretched her own out.

"Shun'ou…Ayame. Saten Keshou! I reject!"

An orange energy field formed around the gash on Jidanbou's arm, to the astonishment of much of the crowd.

* * *

It was nighttime when Jidanbou's arm was completely healed. Unfortunately he was still unconscious. However, the residents said it was normal for someone of his size to sleep off injuries for several days in the Soul Society. They moved him into a shelter.

The rescue party was invited to the elder's house, where they discussed what their next move should be.

"We cannot go through the gate again." Yoruichi said. "They will have increased the security there."

"What about the other gates?" Toshiro asked.

Yoruichi shook his head. "It will be the same at all of them."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"We find a way to get in that doesn't involve gates."

He turned to the elder. "Do you know Kukakku Shiba?"

The elder started. "Wh-what?"

"Apparently Kukakku likes to change residencies at the drop of a hat." Yoruichi explained. "I can't figure out where the fool is now."

"Kukakku Shiba…" the elder said in horror. "Don't tell me you mean to use _that_ to get through the wall."

"That?" Orihime asked tentatively.

Toshiro looked at the door. "What's that noise?"

A low, loud sound was reverberating, growing louder each second.

"Something's getting closer." Uryu said. "Something big."

"No." the elder moaned. "Not this. Not now."

The door burst open, and a man flew through it. He landed on his head in the middle of the rescue party and rose painfully.

"Owww."

"Who is this?" the entire rescue party asked at once. The man was tall and broad, though not a giant like Jidanbou, and wore sunglasses and a pink and white bandana.

There was a snorting sound behind the man. The rescue party stared in shock as a large boar wearing a pink bow walked through the now open door.

"Man o man." the man said, dusting himself off. "Bonnie threw me off again."

"You actually rode that thing?" Uryu asked.

The man ignored him, instead saluting the elder. "Long time no see, old dude!"

"Ganju!" the elder exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Come on." Ganju complained. "I visit you for the first time in ages, and this is how you greet me?" He looked around. "Your guests are shocked….eh?"

He lifted his sunglasses to look up and down at Toshiro.

"What's this? Old dude, why do you have a stinking Shinigami here?"

The drop in the temperature of the room had nothing to do with Toshiro's powers.

Ganju moved close to Toshiro, towering over him.

"I asked what a stinking Shinagami is doing here, pipsqueak." Toshiro's face reddened as Ganju seized some of his hair. "What's the matter? Can't you talk, you little-"

Feeling like he was about to pop a vein, Toshiro raised his finger and said "Bakudo number one. Sai." Ganju's yelped as his arms locked behind him and he fell to a kneeling position before Toshiro.

"Why you-" he groweled. "When I get my hands on you-"

"Shut up." Toshiro spat, turning back to the elder. "We were talking about seeing this Kukakku Shiba."

"Yes, well," the elder said, bemused, "it might help if you didn't bind Shiba's younger brother."

"What?"

All eyes turned to Ganju, who looked uncomfortable.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Perfect." Yoruichi said happily. "He can lead us right to Kukakku."

"Like hell I will!" Ganju yelled.

Yoruchi walked in front of Ganju and bared his claws in front of his face.

"You will. And you'll do it right now, since we're in a bit of a hurry."

* * *

Rukia sat facing the back wall of her cell. The sun shone brightly, allowing her to clearly see the shadow of the man who approached the cell bars.

"What is it, Renji?" she asked. "Have they moved up the date of my execution?"

"Yes," Renji answered. "It's less than 14 days from now. The use of the sokyoku has been aproved. As a result of that, we're here to transfer you to the repentance cell."

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Ganju exclaimed when he had led them to their destination, a house with giant hands sticking out of the ground holding a large banner between them. There was a large, cylindrical tower behind it.

"This can't be right." Chad.

"I knew we couldn't trust this Ganju." Uryu said.

"Hey!" Ganju yelled. "A Shiba's word is his bond!"

"What's the problem?" Yoruichi asked. "The design is quite clever."

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "This is going to be Urahara all over again, isn't it?"

"Come on, let's go," Yoruichi instructed.

They entered the building to find a staircase descending under the ground When they reached the bottom, Ganju told them to wait at the first door they found..

"You can't just walk in," Ganju said, "I'll have to announce you first.

Ganju actually seemed nervous as he opened the door and shut it behind them.

Shortly afterwards, Ganju opened the door again.

"You may enter," he said.

Yoruichi entered first. He approached a woman who was sitting on a pile of pilows in the back of the room. The woman had long, unkempt black hair, a somewhat revealing red and white outfit, and an artificial right arm

"That's Kukakku? Uryu asked.

"Of course," Yoruichi answered. "What were you expecting?

Toshiro scrateched the back of his head in exasperation. "Honestly, at this point I'd be more surprised if it was someone normal."

"I heard that, you little punk," Kukkaku said.

Toshiro took a step back in fear and embarassment. "Um, er, sorry,?"

Kukkaku ignored him and turned her attention to the cat in front of her. "Well, well, Yoruichi. It's been a long time. And I see you've brought a bunch of brats along with you."

"I shall explain that," Yourichi replied. "First though, I have a failure to ask of you, Kukkaku."

"You always do," Kukkau said. "Is it dangerous?"

"Probably."

Kukkaku looked Yoruichi in the eye. Toshiro, Uryu, Chad, and Orihime could practically taste the tension.

Then Kukkaku laughed. "Lucky for you I enjoy danger."

The kids all sweat-dropped. "Did she wait to respond just to psyche us out?."

* * *

Renji and the prison guards led Rukia over a narrow bridge overlooking most of the sereitei. Their destination was a large tower.

They brought Rukia to her new cell and stood her before the one window in the room. The window overlooked the Sokyoku Hill, where a twenty meter tall stand and twenty-five meter tall halberd stood.

"Do you see, prisoner?" the head guard asked Rukia. "Those are to be the instruments of your execution."

"A prisoner who is brought here can gaze out of the tower's window at the Sokyoku, and perhaps, repent his sins. That is why this place is called the repentence cell."

The guard released the bonds on her hands and turned to leave with his brethren.

The guard addressed Renji. "Thank you for escorting us, sir. We must go now."

The guards continued to walk out of the cell, but Renji just stared at Rukia, who was still looking solemly out the window.

"Sir, we must lock the tower."

"Huh?" Renji said, as if he had been awaoken from a daydream.

"Sir?"

Renji growled in frustration and walked up to Rukia.

He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"I want to give you some unconfirmed information," he told Rukia. "They say that a group of five intruders attempted to enter the Soul Society yesterday."

"My sources tell me one of those intruders was a child with who carried a sword longer than his body, a shinigami with white hair.."

Rukia's eyes widened and she looked up at Renji.

* * *

Kukkaku smoked a pipe as she listened to Yoruichi's story.

"I think I get the picture," she said as Yoruichi finished. "Sounds like fun."

"Excellent!" Yoruichi exclaimed.

"However," Kukkaku continued, "while I trust you completely, I do not trust these kids you're traveling with, so I'm going to send my brother as an overseer, just in case."

"Um, me?" Ganju asked nervously, pointing at his face.

"Yes, you."

The Shibas led them further into the underground facility they called a house.

Kukkaku had Ganju open a door leading into a dark room.

"Here it is," she said proudly. This is how I'm going to get you into the Seireitei.

They stared in confusion and apprehension at the large device, the bottom of the cylindrical tower they had seen outside.

"With this launcher, I'll get you into the seireitei bygoing through the air over the wall,"

Toshiro leaned close to Uryu. "Did she just say she was going to fire us out of a rocket?"

"I think so.," Uryu answered with a gulp.

Kukkaku gavc an order, and the floor began to rise. In a minuted they and the cannon were above ground.

"This is my one and only enhanced fireworks launch pad!" Kukkaku delcared.

She tossed a clear ball with a red symbol at Toshiro.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That's a reishukaku, or spirit orb. Place your palms on it and concentrate your spirit energy," Kukkaku instructed.

Toshiro held the orb in front of him. He took a deep breath and concentrated The orb began to glow.

"That's it," Kukkaku told him. "You're doing it.".

Suddenly, a large ubble surrounded him.

"Huh? What's this? What's going on?" Toshiro asked.

"That is the cannonball," Kukkaku explained.

"You may think that the wall is the only thing protecting the Seireitei, but that wall is made of a substance that emits a field which rejects and breaks down spirit energy on all sides, meaning that the area is protected both above and below ground.

"If all of you combine your spirit energy, your reiatsu, you should be able to create a temporary cannonball that can break that barrier, however. Then I will use the flower crane cannon to shoot that cannonball straight through the sky., launching you into the seireitei."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day training to create the cannonball with their spirit energy.

When Kukkau and her servants were satsfied with their progress, they ate dinner and went to bed.

Orihime was given her own room while the boys were put together..

Ganju opened the door slightly to check on them. Uryu and Chad were sleeping, but Toshiro was sitting with his legs crossed. He was staring intently at the zanpakuto laid out in front of him.

"You should get some sleep," Ganju said, entering the room

He sat down next to Toshiro. "If I had a sword like that I'd probably admire it too."

"I'm not admiring it," Toshiro said.

"Then what are you doing?"

Toshiro sighed. "When I first became a shinigami, I thought the zanpakuto was just a weapon for killing hollows. I didn't know just how much destruction it could cause."

"That bothers you?"

Toshiro nodded.

"Everyone's counting on me, and I might be a bigger danger to them than the Shinigami we'll be facing."

Ganju had to stifle a laugh to keep from waking the others.

"It's hard to see a pipsqueak like you being a danger to anyone."

Toshiro glared at him.

"Look," Ganju said. "Why is a little kid like you so determined to save that other Shinigami? I can see how scared you all are. Is she that important to you?"

Toshiro looked up. "I don't know. In a way she was my first real friend, but I really barely know her."

"Then why risk your life for her?"

"I'm not sure of that myself. I guess ... it's because it's the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do?"

Toshiro smiled. "I can't really explain it better. . It just ... feels right."

Ganju got up. "You are one weird kid."

"So I've been told."

"Get some sleep," Ganju instructed as he left the room. "You won't be any good to anyone tomorrow if you're all tired out."

* * *

Kukkaku woke them at dawn.

"Everyone up! It's time to go!"

They were still groggy as she led them to the cannon.

"The sun will be rising soon. That's when we'll begin the launching ceremony.

The rescue party, now joined by Ganju, gathered inside the cannon. They sat around the reishukaku.

"Listen," Yoruichi instructed them. "Once we are in the Seireitei, it is imperative that we stick togther. And if you encounter any captains, do not fight them. Just run away. Our only objective is to rescue Rukia. Do not take any unnecassry risks."

At Kukkau's signal, the held the reishukaku and began to pour their energy into it.

The cannon launched, sending them high into the air. Once they began to change coarse towards the Sereitei, Ganju took over, reciting a spell to keep their cannonball's energy levels stable

Uryu, Orihime, and Chad all stared at the sight. "Whoa... Toshiro said as he saw the Seireitei come into view

"Don't get distracted!" Yoruichi yelled at them. "You must concentrate!"

There was a sudden kolt as they were stopped high above the seireitei.

"What's going on?" Toshiro yelled. Why have we stopped?

"We've hit the membrane!" Yoruichi said.

The cannonball pushed against the barrier for twenty seconds before both burst open, leaving them floating in midair.

"The cannpnball was destroyed, but we're not falling," Uryu observed.

"It's the residual spiritual energy," Yoruichi said. "It will crete a whirlpool, and then it will explode."

"Explode?" They all asked.

"Yes. We must stick together, or the explosion will blow us all in different directions."

The wind started. Toshiro, as the lightest, was nearly blown away, but Ganju caught him.

"Everyone grab the person closest to you!" Yoruichi yelled

Chad grabbed Orihime, but Uryu was being blown out of the whirlpool.

Chad leapt after Uryu. He grabbed the Quincy and threw him back into the Whirlpool. However, his act caused him to fall away from the others.

"Chad!"

"Don't worry about him!" Yoruichi told them. "He'll survive. We have to worry about ourselves."

They were now in two groups, Toshiro and Ganju, and Orihime and Uryu.

Toshiro reached back to grab his zanpakuto.

"Hey, what do you think you're doin?" Ganju yelled. "This is no place for a zanpakuto!"

"Orihime! Uryu! Grab on!" Toshiro yelled.

He made a thrusting motion with his sword, and a large chain with a sickle at the end extended from the hilt of the blade.

Orihime grabbed the chain just as the whirlpool exploded.


	12. Chapter 12

They fell together.

Toshiro and Ganju held onto each other as Toshiro struggled to keep his grip on his sword. Several meters above them, Orihime and Uryu continued to clutch the zanpakuto's chain.

As the approached the ground, Orihime attempted to reach out to summon her fairies to cushion theif all, but she could not do so without letting go of either the chain or Uryu.

Instead, Ganju, who was only using one arm to hold onto Toshiro, extended his arm and moved his hand in a predetermined pattern.

"Turn to sand, Seppa!" Ganju yelled.

The ground below them swirled for a moment before dissolving into sand. Ganju and Toshiro landed first, the sand cushioning their impact. A second later, Orihime and Uryu landed on top of them.

Ganju was knocked down, but Toshiro, as the smallest of them, was practically buried in the sand when Orihime and Uryu landed.

"Oh no! Toshiro!"

They quickly pulled Toshiro up. He leaned against the edge of the sand crater they had landed in and proceeded to cough up sand.

He continued to breath hard after he was done coughing up sand.

"Are you all right?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro nodded and sat down. He looked at Ganju. "I didn't know you could do that."

Ganju grinned. "You're welcome."

"Speaking of things we didn't you could do," Uryu said, "since when does your zanpakuto have a long chain?"

"Since forever, it seems," Toshiro answered. He suddenly looked up.

Ganju, Uryu, and Orihime turned to see what Toshiro was looking at.

On the roof above them were two Shinigami, a bald one and one with long, black hair.

The bald Shinigami grinned broadly. "Boy, am I _lucky._ Here I was slacking off because it's a pain to get to my post, and plop comes my reward right in front of me." He and his companion leapt off of the roof onto the ground in front of them.

"Lucky. Lucky. Luuuuuccccccky!" The bald one began to chant, dancing on his tippy-toes while brandishing his still sheathed sword in its scabbard.

"I think he's got a few screws loose." Ganju whispered to Toshiro, who nodded bewilderedly.

"Their reiatsus are huge," Uryu observed. "Much bigger than Jidanbou's."

"Just great," Toshiro grunted as he climbed out of the sand pit.

"What are you doing?" Uryu yelled. "You don't really intend to fight them?"

Toshiro looked back at him. "We have no idea where we are or where we're going. Might as well make do with what we've got here."

The bald Shinigami was amused. "I admire your spunk, kid. You're either really brave or really stupid. Most people would run away."

"Four people can't run away and hide as easily as one," Toshiro answered. "On the other hand, we have you outnumbered."

"So you think you have strength in numbers?" the bald man asked. "Who do you think you're dealing with?"

"We really don't care," Uryu said, stepping up beside Toshiro.

"And a new challenger enters the ring," the bald Shinigami said. He looked at Orihime and Ganju. "What about you two? Maybe if all of you come at me at once I might break a sweat-"

He stopped as an arrow narrowly missed his face.

"That's enough of your prattle," Uryu said as he held his bow aloft.

A vein appeared near the eye of the bald Shinigami as he squinted in anger. "Why you … "

The long haired Shinigami put his hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Ikkaku. I'll teach that one some manners. You can focus on the others."

"Fair enough, Yumichika."

The two Shinigami drew their swords.

'I really wish Uryu hadn't had done that,' Toshiro thought as he drew his own zanpakuto. He was still breathing heavily and was somewhat dizzy from his time under the sand. 'If he had continued prattling I'd have had more time to recover.'

Behind them, Ganju and Orihime had climbed out onto the other side of the sand pit.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Orihime asked.

"I think we should run away," Ganju said. "But if I did that while you all stayed then my sister would kill me."

The four combatants stood at the ready, not moving a muscle.

Ikkaku noticed that Toshiro was breathing more heavily and sweating more than Uryu. He waited, and saw Toshiro quickly glance at Uryu.

Ikkaku struck. "You're just a little greenhorn!" he yelled as he sung his sword down at Toshiro, who just managed to jump out of the way.

'He dodged it?" Ikkaku wondered in surprise.

Toshiro retaliated by swinging his own sword at Ikkaku, who blocked the attack with his sheath.

'Who fights with his scabbard?" Toshiro wondered.

* * *

Uryu was caught off guard by Ikkaku's attack on Toshiro and was unable to fire his arrow at Yumichika before the latter swung his own sword at him.

Uryu was forced to back up to avoid Yumichika's strikes. His looked back in fright as his foot stepped partially over the edge of the sand pit.

"Die!" Yumichika yelled as he thrust his sword at Uryu's heart.

Uryu leapt back over the sand pit, putting some distance between himself and Yumichika. He took the opportunity to knock an arrow and fire it at his opponent.

Yumichika moved to the side to dodge the arrow, which passed so close the wind from its passing caused his hair to sway.

The Shinigami grinned at the scowling Quincy. "A bow can be an elegant weapon. But I'm afraid not in your hands."

* * *

Meanwhile, Toshiro and Ikkaku continued to exchange blows. The bald Shinigami had the advantage in height, weight, and reach, but was unable to land a blow on his small opponent.

However, Toshiro was not fairing any better. Thanks to the use of his sheath, Ikkaku could block and attack at the same time, giving Toshiro few opportunities to go on the offensive.

Toshiro leapt away from the confrontation, giving himself time to rethink his strategy.

"Not bad, greenhorn," Ikkaku said. "But you'll never beat me like that."

Toshiro looked at where Uryu, Yumichika, Orihime, and Ganju were.

'I can't do it. They're too close,' he thought.

"Don't get distracted!" Ikkaku yelled, slashing at Toshiro again.

This time, Toshiro blocked the blow. His knees buckled slightly under the impact, but he held his ground.

Gritting his teeth, Toshiro pushed back. Now in a better position, he raised one leg and kicked Ikkaku's scabbard out of his other hand.

For once, Ikkaku's eyes left his opponent as he watched the sheath fly away. Toshiro took advantage of his momentary distraction with a slash to his head, which he still mostly avoided.

Ikkaku then backed away from Toshiro. He was bleeding above his right eye.

"So, first blood to the greenhorn," he observed as he picked up his scabbard. "Who'd have thought it?"

'My head seems to be clearing, at least' Toshiro thought. His breathing was slower than it had been when the fight had started, and his light-headedness had disappeared.

"Tell me, greenhorn, what's your name?"

"Toshiro Hisugaya."

"Another Shiro with white hair, huh? Well, I'm Ikkaku Madarame, the third seat of Squad 11."

* * *

Uyru leapt away from the next attack.

'This is bad,' he thought. 'This area is too narrow for me to fight properly. I need more room.'

Yumichika came in close in his next attack, forcing Uryu to blocked with his bow.

"Hmph, I'm surprised your bow didn't shatter," Yumichika said

"Don't underestimate me!" Uryu yelled. He forced the bow forward, the tip of it scratching Yumichika;s cheek.

Yumichika backed off and put his hand to his cheek.

"What?"

He looked at his hand, which held droplets of blood.

Yumichika glared at Uryu. "You-you maimed my face! My beautiful face! You'll die for that!"

He held out his zanpakuto, which began to glow.

"Bloom, Fuji Kukaku!"

* * *

Ikkaku removed a cap from the tip of his scabbard and stuck his finger in it. He ran his finger over the wound above his eye, rubbing an ointment that stopped the bleeding.

"Shoot," Toshiro muttered.

"What was that?" Ikkaku asked.

Toshiro looked at him seriously. "If you've got an ointment that stops your bleeding, I can't afford to hold back."

"Hold back?" Ikkaku grinned. "You act like an amateur, but…"

 **Clang!**

Toshiro barely blocked the blow. Ikkaku followed up with three thrusts that forced Toshiro back.

"You have excellent reflexes!"

Ikkaku let up his barrage for a second and Toshiro immediately responded with an overhanded attack of his own. Ikkaku was able to block it, but it the impact still drove him to one knee.

"And fierce attacks!"

They traded blows, neither gaining any headway.

"As for agility…"

Ikkauku swiped at Toshiro's feet. He leapt over the attack and over Ikkauku's head.

"I don't mind saying that you're close to me!"

Toshiro took another battle stance. Ikkaku's smile broadened.

"No, Toshiro. You're much too good to be written off as an amateur with good instincts." Ikkaku's smile faded, and he asked "Tell me, who was your master?"

Toshiro's eyes narrowed again, and he replied "I only learned with him for ten days, so I don't know if he could be called my master, but there is a man who taught me how to fight."

"Who?" Ikkauku demanded.

"Kisuke … Urahara …"

Ikkaku's eyes widened.

"So _he's_ your master." Ikkauku said gravely. "In that case, it would be rude to fight you without giving it my all."

Ikkauku put his Zanpakuto and scabbard together in front of him.

"Extend, Hozukimaru!"

Toshiro shielded his eyes from a momentary flash of light. When it faded, Ikkauku's sword and scabbard were gone, replaced by-

'A spear?!' Toshiro wondered.

Ikkaku brandished his new weapon. "Here I come, Toshiro! Don't misjudge!"

"Yeah right." Toshiro muttered, backing up as Ikkaku resumed his attack. The spear was long and heavy, but it did not slow Ikkaku down at all.

'His reach is longer now.' Toshiro thought, 'but if I get in close the advantage is all mine.'

Ikkaku stopped momentarily, then charged straight at Toshiro.

'That's my opening!'

Toshiro ran at Ikkaku as well, holding his Zanpakuto up at his side to deflect the spear. He passed the blade at the edge and continued toward his opponent.

'His weapon's useless now!'

Ikkaku grinned wildly. "Split apart, Hozukimaru!"

Toshiro's eyes widened in fear as he turned his head to see the spear split into three sections, each connected by a chain. The first section swung around Toshiro, it's blade aimed straight at his head.

* * *

Yumichika was easily deflecting Uryu's shots with his released zanpakuto.

"Is that all you've got?" Yumichika asked.

Uryu smiled. "To tell you the truth, I was saving my strength for a more worthy opponent."

"Worthy?" Yumichika's brow furled in anger. "How dare you. I am the fifth seat of – "

He barely moved out of the way as an arrow far larger than the previous ones had been. The arrow took some of his hair with it.

Yumichika ran his hand through his hair.

"Impossible …" he said in fear.

He stared as Uryu knocked another arrow.

"Toshiro!" Orihime cried out.

Uryu and Yumichika turned to look at the fight taking place on the other side of the sand pit.

Toshiro was leaning forward, surrounded by the three-part-poll. A large amount of blood was at his feet.

But his head was still attached to his body for the chain and sickle had appeared again at the end of Toshiro's Zanpakuto. It had wrapped itself around the end of Ikkaku's spear, allowing Toshiro to pull his enemy's weapon away from his head just in time. The spear had slashed open a large gash above Toshiro's eye.

"Your sword changed shape without you calling out its name." Ikkaku said in wonder. "How did you-"

"This isn't my sword's release." Toshiro said, barely able to keep his eye open.

"What?"

'Not its release?' Ikkaku wondered. 'How can that be? What power is he still holding back?'

Ikkaku pulled on his spear to free it from Toshiro's chain and bring it back into position, but Toshiro gritted his teeth and pulled on the chain as well.

"Give it up." Toshiro said. "Your weapon can't cut me anymore."

"Do you think this is a game?" Ikkaku growled. "This is a battle! It doesn't end until one of us is **dead!"**

He charged at Toshiro again, screaming like a madman.

"That's enough!" Toshiro yelled, swinging his sword in an uppercut. He sliced open Ikkaku's side, stomach, and chest with a single a single attack.

Ikkaku stopped in his tracks, his mouth hanging open.

"Damn it." He muttered. "You're strong. I guess I've got bad luck after all."

Ikkaku collapsed in a heap as Toshiro looked at him dejectedly.

"It didn't have to go down like this," he said softly.

Ikkaku laughed despite himself. "You really are a greenhorn."

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika yelled as he watched his friend go down.

"Worry about yourself," Uryu warned before firing four arrows at each of Yumichika's limbs. The arrows struck his clothes, pinning him to the nearby wall.

"Damn it!" Yumichi screamed as he struggled to free himself.

Uryu raised his bow one more time. "This is it, Shnigami."

"No!" Toshiro yelled, grabbing the end of the bow.

"What are you doing?" Uryu demanded.

"They're beaten! There's no need to kill them!"

"They can identify us," Uryu pointed out. "If we let them live they'll tell others exactly what to look for."

"They've already identified us," Toshiro countered. "That captain the other day. He saw us too."

"And besides, we need them to tell us where to go."

"I'll never tell you anything!" Yumichika snarled at them.

A weak voice caused him to stop his struggling.

"It's all right …. Yumichika … "

"Ikkaku … "

"Hey … kid …" Ikkaku called.

Toshiro walked back over to him.

"What is it … you want to know?"

"Rukia Kuchiki," Toshiro said. "Where is she?"

"The death row prisoner? Why do you want to know about her?"

"We're here to save her."

Ikkaku's eyes widened. "This is a rescue mission? How many of you are there?"

"I'm the one asking the questions!" Toshiro said angrily. He could not tell the Shinigami about Chad and Yoruichi.

Ikkaku strained to look at the others with Toshiro. "There had better be far more of you than that, or you won't stand a chance of succeeding. It's suicide."

"It might be," Toshiro admitted, "but that's a risk we're all willing to take."

Ikkaku sighed. "Go directly south from here."

Toshiro leaned down to hear him better.

"You'll come to the stations for the 13 Court Guard Squads. Off by itself, at the far west end of all the squad stations you'll see a tall white tower. That's where the prisoner's being held."

Toshiro stood up. "Orihime!" he called.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Can you heal him?"

"What is wrong with you?" Ganju yelled. "Not killing them is one thing, but healing them so they can come after us?"

"I agree," Uryu said. "We cannot linger here."

"We don't need to bring him back to full health, just to make sure he doesn't bleed to death. We owe him that much for the information," Toshiro explained. He turned to Orihime. "Can you do it?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Orihime summoned her fairies and created a forcefield around Ikkaku.

As she worked, Uryu walked over to Toshiro. "You are going to get us all killed," he said angrily.

Toshiro ignored him. "As soon as you're sure he'll survive, we're leaving."

"Wait," Ikkaku said, calling Toshiro closer. "I have … a question I must ask you."

"I told you I was the one asking the questions."

Ikkaku ignored him and asked anyway. "Would you say that you are the strongest in your group?"

That made Toshiro pause. "Maybe."

The Shinigami smiled. "Then watch out for our captain, Zaraki Kenpachi. He's not interested in weaklings. If you are the strongest, he'll be coming for _you."_

"Is he powerful?" Toshiro asked.

"When you meet him, you'll see, _if_ you can survive long enough for your brain to comprehend his strength."


	13. Chapter 13

They sat in an abandoned building.

Ganju and Orihime kept a lookout while Uryu bandaged Toshiro's head. The wound Ikkaku had inflicted had not stopped bleeding, forcing them to hide and treat it. Uryu was given that task, as while he could not make the wound disappear completely as Orihime could, he worked much faster than her powers.

"You're lucky you didn't lose your head," he admonished Toshiro after he had applied the bandages.

"I know."

"I've done what I can, but you need stitches, and I didn't bring that."

"That's ok," Toshiro said as he rose. "When we're done I'll go back to my real body, which doesn't have any wounds."

Uryu pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. "You may have that luxury. But the rest of us don't. These are our real bodies. Every injury we receive is for real."

"What do you want me to do?" Toshiro asked.

"I want you to stop pretending this is some game and we're superheroes!" Uryu yelled. "That Soul Reaper who took Rukia was right. You don't have what it takes to kill your opponents."

"And if you can't give it your all," he added, "none of us are going to survive."

Toshiro looked out towards the door where Ganju was standing guard. "And if I do, none of you may survive," he said softly.

"What was that?"

Ganju looked back inside. "Um, guys, we've got a problem."

They went to the door and looked out. Orihime was beging chased by a large mob of Shinigami.

"Run!" Orimihe yelled.

They all began to run away.

"What happened?" Uryu yelled as they ran.

"I'm sorry!" Orimihe said. "I went to look around and some of them spotted me!"

The mass of Shinigami behind them seemed endless. They could not make out what their pursuers were shouting, but the commotion drew others. Another crowd of Shinigami appeared in front of them.

They stopped, trapped between the two forces.

"They've got us pinned," Ganju said. "We're going to have to fight through."

Orihime turned to face the group behind them. She held her hands at the side of her forehead and called out: "Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Sotten Keshu I reject!"

A triangular shield formed between them and their pursuers. Several Shinigami slashed at the barrier with their swords, only to be repulsed.

While Orihime kept the group behind them at bay, the boys began to fight with the group in front of them. They did not draw their weapons, but instead fought with their fists, knocking out six Shinigami.

The rest of the group in front of them stopped and backed up.

"They didn't think we'd be this strong," Ganju observed. "But sooner or later they're gonna attack again."

"Whatever we do," Uryu said, "we have to do it fast. The longer we stay, the more Shinigami will show up."

"I'm open to suggestions," Toshiro said.

Uryu stared at the group in front of them. He wondered if he could open a hole in their ranks with one of his arrows, but quickly dismissed the idea. Even if it worked, the Shnigami would quickly surround them again.

He saw a commotion in the back of the Shinigami's lines. As the commotion, moved closer to them, Toshiro and Ganju noticed it as well.

A small Shinigami stumbled forward, accidentally knocking other Shinigami over as he fell out of the crowd before the rescue party.

"Oww," the fallen Shinigami said. "That didn't go as planned."

"Heyyy," Ganju said as he rubbed his chin. "I've got an idea how we can get out of this."

Uryu pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. "I don't much like this idea, but it seems we have no choice."

The Shinigami looked up at them. "Wait. If you're looking for a way out, then that must make you the … the … "

Ganju grabbed the Shinigami and pulled him close.

"Now back off and let us go!" Ganju yelled, holding the Shinigami around the neck.

He looked at Toshiro and Uryu. "Uh, someone back me up here?"

Toshiro pointed at Uryu. "I thought you were going to threaten him."

"Me?" Uryu protested. "You're the one with the big sword."

"And I'm also a kid. Not exactly intimidating."

One of the larger Shinigami asked "What do you guys think you're doing?"

"Uh, taking a hostage?" Ganju replied with a hint of doubt in his voice. He quickly attempted to sound more intimidating. "Do what we say or you'll get your friend back in pieces!"

"Ahhh!" the hostage Shinigami screamed. "But I faint at the sight of my own blood!"

The crowd of Shinigami just stared at them.

"They don't seem concerned about their comrade," Uryu observed.

"Comrade?" one of the Shnigami asked. "Do we look the same to you?"

"What does he mean?" Toshiro asked their hostage.

"Oh, I'm Squad Four, and they're all from Squad Eleven."

"So what?"

One of the Shinigami spit in disgust. "I shouldn't have to explain it to you, but it's just so insulting to have you lump us together with that loser, so listen up!"

"There are thirteen guard squads assigned to protect the Seireitei," he explained. "We of Squad Eleven are led by the strongest captain. As such, we are the strongest unit, and always the first into battle."

Toshiro's hand shook in trepidation.

"What is it?" Uryu asked him.

"That man, Ikkaku. He was from Squad Eleven," Toshiro said. "And he said his captain would be coming after us."

"Squad Four is the most useless squad there is!" the Squad Eleven Shinigami continued. "All they're good for is treating minor wounds. That's where all the loser wimps who can't even wield a sword get assigned."

"So don't go around confusing them with us, because when it comes to Squad Four – "

" **WE HATE THEM!"** all of the Shinigami yelled at once.

"Uryu, Ganju," Toshiro said. "I think I'm starting to share your hatred for Shinigami."

"If you want to go ahead and kill him go ahead!" another Shinigami yelled out. "We don't care!"

They charged. This time, Toshiro drew his sword and Uryu his bow.

But just before the Shinigami reached them, the wall to their side exploded in a burst of rock and smoke. The shockwave knocked out dozens of Shinigami.

The rescue party covered their faces.

"What was that?" Ganju asked.

Toshiro lowered his arm and smiled.

"The cavalry."

Chad stepped through the broken wall.

"Hey, there," he said.

"All right," Toshiro said. "The gang's all back together."

Orihime dropped her barrier and ran over to give Chad a hug. "Chad! You're alive!"

"And so are you," Chad responded.

The group which had been held back by Orihime's barrier rushed forward, screaming battle cries.

"Excuse me," Chad said, walking in front of them. He raised his right arm and fired a blast from his fist. The blast proceeded to knock over the Shinigami like bowling pins.

The rest of the rescue party stared at Chad in shock.

"He just knocked them all out with one punch," Uryu said meekly.

* * *

Mayuri Kurosutchi, the Captain of Squad Twelve, examined the scene of the battle with Ikkaku and Yumichika together with his Lieutenant, Nemu Kurosutchi.

"Interesting, interesting…" he said as he examined the sand pit.

"Have you discovered something, master?" Nemu asked.

"One of the ryoka can turn solid surfaces into sand. However, he doesn't appear to have used it in battle."

Kurosutchi turned to the wall where Yumichika had been pinned. The holes from Uryu's arrows remained in the perforated wall.

"What do we have here?" he asked, sticking a finger into one of the arrow holes.

His eyes widened as he felt something. "This reishi is – "

He pulled his finger out and examined it. A spark of blue and white energy danced around the tip of his finger.

"Well, well," Kurotsuchi said with a smile.

"It appears we are dealing with a Quincy."

* * *

Ikkaku lay on a cot in Squad Four's medical center. His torso was covered in bandages.

He was not surprised when a shadow appeared over him.

"Captain," he said simply.

"Ikkaku," replied Kenpachi Zaraki. "I hear you fought the ryoka."

Ikkaku nodded. "I am sorry sir. I was defeated and allowed to live, to my shame."

Zaraki glared at his third seat. "Is he strong."

"Yes," Ikkaku answered. "And I do not believe that I even witnessed his full strength."

Zaraki smiled at that. "Now this is getting interesting. Tell me his name."

* * *

The rescue party had found another empty room to hide in.

"I am Hanataro Yamada. It's nice to meet you," their hostage told them.

Everyone stared at him.

"Um, what is he doing here?" Toshiro asked.

Ganju grinned sheepishly. "I kind of forgot I was holding him."

"We've solved one of our major problems now that we're all back together," Uryu said. "But we're still no closer to our objective."

Toshiro agreed. "We know we have to go south, but this place is made out like a maze, and the streets are crawling with Shinigami."

"We can try to get ahold of Shinigami outfits," Uryu suggested. Disguise ourselves as the enemy."

"That's a great idea!" Orihime said. "We'll be like secret agents, undercover."

"They know what we look like," Toshiro observed, "so it probably won't fool everyone. But with so many Shinigami we shouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves."

'Once we have the outfits, we'll keep going south until we see the tower where Rukia's being held,"

Hanataro looked up at them. "Excuse me?"

"Will they have Shinigami outfits in my size?" Chad asked.

"Of course," Orihime answered. "You saw Jidanbou. If they have outfits in his size, finding one that'll fit you will be no problem!"

"You're talking about Rukia Kuchiki, aren't you?" Hanataro asked.

They all stopped and looked at him.

"I thought so," Hanataro said. "It all makes sense now. You're looking for the younger sister of the Squad Six Captain, who is currently being held as a capital offender in the Repentance Cell."

"Why do you care?" Toshiro asked skeptically.

"If you trust me," Hanataro declared, I can help you. I know a hidden way into that tower."

The five of them looked at each other.

* * *

"Gotta admit," Ganju said. "I never would have thought to use the sewers."

"Perhaps if we had known about their existence we might have thought of it," Uryu said. "Even if it does stink."

"And you're sure no one else knows about these sewers?" Ganju asked.

"Oh, everyone knows about them," Hanataro answered. "But no one ever goes down here but Squad Four, and even then, it's just to clean the sewers. They'd never think to look for us here."

"Hanataro," Toshiro asked seriously. "Why are you doing this? Why help us?"

"Toshiro…" Orihime said.

"Do you think he's leading us into a trap?" Chad asked.

"We're all thinking it," Toshiro admitted. "But unless he's a really good actor I don't think so. I just want to know why a Shinigami is helping a bunch of strangers who took him hostage."

"I know more about you than you think," Hanataro said.

He pointed at each of them. "Chad: big strong, and always looking out for the little guy. Orihime: funny and friendly. Uryu: brilliant but prideful."

"How do you know all this?" Uryu asked.

"Rukia told me. And of course, she told me all about little Toshiro."

Toshiro's ears went red. _"That's_ what she chose to emphasize?"

Orihime giggled. "Well, you _are_ very small."

"A runt," Ganju agreed. "You make Hanataro look big in comparison."

"Would everyone just shut up about my height!" Toshiro yelled.

Hanataro smiled. "Rukia told me stories about you, about how you helped her learn to use a straw, how you put a mod soul in a doll, how you showed her that movie – "

"You watched movies with Rukia?" Orihime asked. "I thought you two just fought hollows together."

"What was the name of that movie?" Hanataro asked. "The Fantastics?"

"The Incredibles," Toshiro muttered.

"That's it! Rukia was telling me how funny it was. 'No capes!'"

Toshiro thought he would die of embarrassment. Orihime was cracking up while Chad and Uryu were struggling to hold back their laughter.

"Why Toshiro," Uryu said. "This is a side of you we've never seen. I didn't know you were into superhero movies."

"I like good movies, all right! Whether they have superheroes doesn't matter!"

"When Rukia was brought in, I was assigned to clean her cell and bring her food," Hanataro explained. "I was scared at first, because she was nobility, but she treated me like I was her equal. We talked, and I started asking her about the world of the living. Before long, coming to her cell to hear her stories was what was looking forward to the most."

"She told me a lot about the world of the living, and about the friends she had made. But her stories always seemed to come back to one person."

 _"Rukia," Hanataro asked. "Is the person in your stories the same human you gave your powers to?"_

 _"Yes," she answered. "He was ... gifted. I felt like I good trust him with my life."_

 _Hanataro watched as her face turned sad. "But he was just a child, and I got him involved in things no child should ever be involved in. Because of me, he was hurt terribly, multiple times. There is no forgiveness for what I've done."_

 _"Rukia..." Hanataro said in awe._

He turned to Toshiro. "Please save her! You have to rescue miss Rukia!"

Toshiro looked back at him with a firm stare. "I will."

"We all will," Uryu said as Chad and Ganju nodded.

"You can count on us," Orihime said while flexing her bicep.


	14. Chapter 14

Hanataro peaked out from underneath a tile on the ground.

"The coast is clear," he said. "You can all come out."

"It's about time, too," Ganju said as they climbed out. "I've breathed enough sewer air to gag a hippo."

They emerged into a mist-filled clearing.

"This is the closest opening to the white tower," Hanataro said. He pointed up and ahead of them. "There it is."

They looked up. Ahead of them was a large staircase leading up a hill. The hill was covered in large buildings, giving it the appearance of a small city. And behind the buildings stood a towering structure, the tallest in the entire Soul Society, the Repentance Cell.

"Sheesh," Ganju said. "This may be the closest sewer opening, but it looks like we've still got a ways to go."

"Maybe," Chad said. "But we'd have never even gotten this close on our own."

Orihime looked at Toshiro, who was staring intently at the tower. "Toshiro?"

"That's where she is," he said.

Uryu scanned the areas around them. "We need to move on. This is a kill zone, a perfect place for an ambush."

"Right."

They began to move forward, but quickly stopped. A lone figure could be seen walking slowly but confidently down the stairs in front of them.

"Who is that?" Orihime wondered.

"It's him," Uryu said gravely, being the first to recognize the reiatsu of their opponent.

Toshiro reflexively rubbed his shoulder where he had been slashed the night Rukia was taken. "Renji Abarai."

Hanataro's eyes widened in horror at the mention of Renji's name.

"You know this guy?" Ganju asked. "His reiatsu is on a completely different level from the guys we were tangling with before."

Hanataro was shaking in fear. "He's the lieutenant of Squad Six!"

Ganju looked at him. "A lieutenant!"

"More importantly," Toshiro said, "he's the guy who took Rukia."

Uryu looked at the boy. His reiatsu was rising in anger.

"Chad, Uryu," Toshiro said. "We'll take him together. Even he can't take the three of us at once."

"Agreed," Uryu said.

The three of them stepped forward to face Renji, who had reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm surprised to see you, both of you, in fact," he said.

"I left you bleeding out on the ground," he told Uryu. "As for you," he said to Toshiro, "I'm amazed anyone could survive the attack Captain Kuchiki inflicted on you."

"I don't know how you managed to survive that, but it seems that there's more to the both of you than I first believed."

"Let us pass," Chad said. "Otherwise we'll have to hurt you."

Renji glared at Chad. "I don't know who you are, and I couldn't care less."

He drew his sword. "But as I said before, I'm going to kill the one who stole Rukia's powers!"

"What do you care, when you're the one that brought here to die?" Toshiro yelled back at him.

"Don't you understand?" Renji asked. "As long as you're alive, Rukia's powers will never return!"

"What does that matter when she's going to die anyway?!"

"It matters because it's your fault!" Renji screamed. "If she never met you she wouldn't have to go through any of this!"

Toshiro took a deep breath to calm himself. "If you care so much, why are you trying to stop us instead of helping us rescue her?"

Renji looked at Chad and Uryu, who were moving to surround him. Uryu drew his bow, and Chad raised his fist. "You three may beat me here, but even if you do, there are eleven other lieutenants just as strong as I am, and above them are the thirteen captains. You'd have to defeat them all to have a chance at reaching the tower."

He looked back at Toshiro. "Don't you get it? No one can save Rukia! It's impossible! All anyone can do is avenger her death!"

He pointed his sword at Toshiro. "And that means killing you."

Toshiro lowered his head. "Chad, Uryu," he said softly. "Please back off."

"What?" Uryu asked in shock. "You can't be serious! We had a plan!"

"I know." Toshiro looked at Chad. "But I have to fight him alone."

Chad looked into Toshiro's eyes. "Please."

After a few seconds, Chad nodded.

"Let's go, Uryu."

"Not you too," Uryu complained. "Am I the only one who has any sense here?"

But he lowered his bow. "All right. This time I'm the one who's outvoted."

Renji watched them closely as they walked back to Orihime, Ganju, and Hanataro.

"What's going on?" Orihime asked. "Why are you coming back?"

Uryu grimaced in frustration. "Toshiro's fighting him himself."

"What?" Ganju yelled. "That's crazy!"

"I know." He turned to Chad. "Why did you agree to this?"

Chad looked at where Toshiro and Renji continued to face off against each other.

"Toshiro's trying to prove to Renji, and to himself, that it is possible to save Rukia, and that he can do it," Chad explained.

"Lives are on the line, and he's trying to prove a point? Does he think he can get Renji to join us?"

"I don't know," Chad said. "I just know that we have to let him fight."

'Before Toshiro seemed worried that he was too powerful,' Uryu wondered. 'Now he's worried that he's not strong enough? Is it even possible to be worried about both at the same time?'

Renji bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "Going to face me yourself? You're either very brave or very stupid."

"Or maybe," he said while assuming a battle stance, "you're hoping that once I've killed you I'll spare the rest of your friends. You know, I just might."

Toshiro continued to look at the ground as he drew his zanpakuto. His hands shook as he assumed his own battle stance.

"What's wrong?" Renji asked in a mocking tone. "Are you afraid?"

Toshiro looked up at Renji with a mask of pure anger. His eyes were glowing blue.

"No. Not afraid," Toshiro said.

The two combatants launched themselves at each other. There was a sound of thunder as their blades clashed.

The hair and clothing of the rescue party rustled in the wind caused by the first blows.

"He's doomed," Ganju said. "No matter how strong Toshiro's become, there's no way he could ever hope to defeat a lieutenant!"

Toshiro and Renji clashed again, their blades creating sparks where they met. Renji attempted use his greater size to his advantage, swinging his zanpakuto down in an overhead strike. Toshiro blocked the blow with one hand on his sword's grip and the other on the blade.

"This is it," Renji said as he pushed both blades closer to Toshiro's head.

Toshiro gritted his teeth and screamed. He pushed up and threw Renji off of him.

Renji stumbled back several paces before falling over.

"He-he overpowered Lieutenant Abarai," Hanataro said in awe. "What kind of human being is Toshiro?"

"I'm starting to wonder that myself," Ganju said.

Renji stared at Toshiro in surprise.

'How the heck did a little runt like him get so strong? It makes no sense!'

"Get up," Toshiro said. "I'm not done with you yet."

Renji glared at him and rose to his feet. "Don't get cocky, kid. You won't get so lucky a second time."

Toshiro put his hand on his blade again. "Hado Number Eleven: Tsuzurei Raiden."

A bolt of electricity enveloped Toshiro's blade, making it glow. He charged at Renji, who blocked the attack.

But the electricity in Toshiro's sword transferred to Renji's own sword, shocking him.

Renji stumbled back. His hair stood on end and the edges of his clothes were singed by the electric shock.

"I seem to remember you were vulnerable to kido," Toshiro observed.

"That does it," Renji growled. "Now you die."

He raised his zanpakuto. "Roar, Zabimaru!"

Toshiro's expression changed from one of confidence to fear as he watched the blade grow it's many segments and protrusions.

Renji swung Zabimaru forward, and Toshiro leapt out of the way as it slammed into the ground where he had been standing, leaving a large hole.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Renji taunted, launching another attack.

Toshiro dodged the second attack, and the third.

Each one of Renji's attacks left a large hole in the ground.

"This is bad," Ganju said. "It's all he can do just to stay alive!"

"This is madness!" Hanataro added. "No one can defeat a lieutenant!"

Uryu watched the battle closely. 'What does he think he's doing? He'll never hit Toshiro unless he switches up his attack. But he just keeps hitting the ground again and again.'

Uryu's eye's widened as the realization set in.

"Toshiro!" he yelled. "He's destroying the floor!"

Dodging another attack, Toshiro stepped in one of the now many large holes in the ground and lost his footing.

'Oh no!'

"You're mine!" Renji yelled as he launched yet another attack.

Unable to dodge as he was falling, Toshiro raised his zanpakuto to deflect Zabimaru away from his head. The attempt was mostly successful, as Renji's blade only nicked the side of his forehead, but it also knocked Toshiro's sword out of his hand.

Toshiro landed hard, but he knew he had no time to rest. Instead he rolled, barely escaping Renji's follow-up attack.

Toshiro kept rolling until he reached his sword. He grabbed the blade and rose.

Renji grinned. "Do you see? Your power is nothing compared to mine! So what makes you think you can save Rukia?"

Toshiro took the lull in the fighting to assess the damage he had taken. He had a few bruises from the fall, and Zabimaru had reopened the wound above his eye he had received from Ikkaku, causing blood to drip into his eye.

"Toshiro!" Uryu yelled. "Let us help you!"

Toshiro shook his head. "I'm all right."

Renji scowled. "You still don't get it?"

He threw Zabimaru forward again, but his time, Toshiro didn't attempt to dodge. He also threw his zanpakuto forward, causing the chain and sickle to appear again. The chain wrapped around the front section of Zabimaru.

"What the – " Renji said in shock.

Toshiro pulled on the chain, causing Renji's attack to land far to his side.

"That's the same move he used to beat Ikkaku!" Ganju observed.

Renji grinned again. "That's a neat little trick you've got there. But it was a stupid move."

"What?" Toshiro responded.

Renji lifted his sword, causing the section Hyorinmaru's chain was wrapped around to rise high into the air. Toshiro was dragged into the air along with it.

Renji began to spin Zabimaru in the air, twirling Toshiro around at the end of the chain like a toy attached to a string.

'I can't stop it!" Toshiro thought.

"Thank you for setting this up for me!" Renji yelled. He spun Toshiro around faster and faster.

Finally, he threw Zabimaru forward. The force of his thrust caused the chain to disengage, and Toshiro was thrown forwards at incredible speed.

The rescue party all had to jump out of the way as Toshiro crashed into and through the wall behind them.

"Toshiro!" Orihime screamed.

"I-is he dead?" Hanataro asked.

Renji recalled his blade again. "You seem to think that just because you fought me once before in the world of the living that you now know my true power. Well let me tell you something, you amateur. Whenever captain or lieutenant ranked Shinigami are sent outside, severe limits are placed on our powers so that we won't adversely affect the world of the living."

"My strength right now, is five times what it was that first day we met," he explained. "So no matter how confident you are, or how powerful you think you've become, you can't defeat me."

Everyone stared at the building Toshiro had been thrown into. The destruction of the wall had created a cloud of smoke that they could not see through.

"So … is that the full extent of your zanpakuto's power?" a voice asked from within the smoke.

"Huh?" Renji said in surprise.

Toshiro slowly walked out of the building. He was hunched over, breathing heavily, and had a huge head wound that was bleeding profusely, but he held his sword firmly.

"Toshiro, you're alive!" Orihime yelled happily.

Toshiro nodded at her and walked towards Renji.

"I asked you a question, Renji," Toshiro said. "Is that the full power of you zanpakuto's release?"

Renji assumed his battle stance.

Toshiro grinned and held up his sword. "Because if that was your best shot, then I don't have anything to worry about, from any of the lieutenants!"

"What?" Renji said.

"That attack doesn't even begin to compare to the power of my own zanpakuto's released state."

Renji's eyes widened in fear for an instant, but then he began to laugh.

"My sword's power doesn't begin to compare to yours? Why don't you show me this power, instead of just boasting about it?"

Toshiro considered it. His head wound was severe, and he suspected that he had broken at least one rib.

"I would," he said. "But to tell you the truth, I really don't want to kill you."

Renji backed up as Toshiro approached. 'His reiatsu's rising. But how can it when he's in this condition?'

"But perhaps a taste of Hyorinmaru's power will suffice."

"Shut up!" Renji screamed, swinging his sword down at Toshiro again.

Toshiro threw Hyorinmaru's chain at his opponent's sword.

"That again?" Renji asked. "When will you – "

He looked up in shock at his sword, which had not extended as he had expected.

Zabimaru was frozen solid in a block of ice.

Toshiro pulled the chain back as Renji stared at his sword.

"So that's his power," Ganju said. "His zanpakuto is an ice-type."

Renji attempted to swing his sword, but it could not extend while encased in ice.

"Come on, damn it!"

He attempted to break the ice by smashing his sword on the ground, but only a small piece chipped off.

"You can't win," Toshiro said.

Renji glared at Toshiro. "Damn you! _I'll kill you!"_

He charged, swinging the ice-covered sword down at Toshiro.

Toshiro slashed up, shattering the ice – and Zabimaru along with it. His movement continued upwards, slashing Renji across the chest.

Time seemed to slow down for Renji as he watched pieces of his sword and his own blood scatter around him.

'What just happened?' he wondered. 'Have I lost? Damn it'

Toshiro looked away as Renji let out an ear-splitting roar of agony.

He looked back in shock as Renji grabbed the front of his kimono.

"All this time I've been blaming you for the fact that Rukia's been imprisoned. Every time I thought of you it made my blood boil," Renji said.

"But I was wrong. It wasn't you. It was me from the start. Because I didn't stop Rukia from going to the Kuchikis. I didn't want her to go, but I thought she'd find happiness there. How could I have known she'd end up a condemned criminal?

"Renji…" Toshiro said.

Renji continued. "And I wanted so badly to surpass Captain Kuchiki for taking Rukia from me. I trained with only that thought in mind. But even to this day, not once have I been able to beat him. He's just too strong."

Renji began to cry.

"So, Toshiro, now I'm swallowing my shame and my pride, and I'm asking you to save Rukia. Will you promise? I'm begging you, will you save her?"

Toshiro looked back at the rest of the rescue party. The boys were staring in awe, but Orihime was holding her hands over her mouth and crying.

He put his hand on Renji's arm. "I will. You can count on it Renji. I won't let anything happen to Rukia."

Renji smiled. His hand released Toshiro's kimono and he collapsed at Toshiro's feet.

Toshiro took a deep breath and swayed on the spot.

"Toshiro!"

The rest of the rescue party ran over as Toshiro sat down and put his head between his legs.

"Are you all right?" Orihime asked.

"Been better," Toshiro said.

Hanataro heard something in the distance. "Someone's coming."

"Then we'd better get out of here," Ganju said. He picked Toshiro up. "C'mere, you."

"Sorry for the mess," Toshiro joked. His eyes closed as he passed out.


	15. Chapter 15

Toshiro groaned as he woke up.

"He's awake!" Orihime said.

Toshiro looked around as the others gathered around him. They were back in the sewers, just below the exit.

"Welcome back," Chad said.

Toshiro stretched his arms to loosen his muscles. "How long was I out?"

"All night," Uryu said. "Hanataro healed all of your wounds."

He motioned to the side, where Hanataro could be seen sleeping soundly.

"Ok, then." Toshiro stood up. "Is everyone else all right?"

"We didn't fight," Uryu reminded him. "And because of your stupidity, we lost a full day."

Toshiro looked down. "I know. I'm sorry."

"I thought we had decided that fighting to prove a point was meaningless," Uryu said. "Why are you so intent on repeating the mistake I made when I challenged you?"

Toshiro gave Uryu a serious look. "What do you think will happen after we rescue Rukia?"

"Huh?"

"We get to the tower, rescue Rukia, escape this place, and go back to our homes. What happens then?"

Uryu thought for a moment. "The Shinigami will come after Rukia again - and us as well."

"Exactly," Toshiro said.

The rescue party looked at each other with worried expressions.

"So why are we here, if they're just going to come for Rukia again?" Chad asked.

"It sounds like we're throwing away our lives for nothing," Ganju added.

"That's one of the reasons I didn't want any of you to come along," Toshiro said.

"But why come at all, if it won't accomplish anything?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro looked at all of his companions before answering. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"And I believe that there is a way we can all walk away from this – including Rukia. But to do that, the Shinigami need to be convinced to let Rukia be once we've rescued her."

"And what did fighting Renji one on one accomplish?" Uryu asked.

"That depends," Toshiro said, "on whether Renji survived."

* * *

Renji was surprised to be alive.

He was laid out on a bed with a member of the Squad Four medical corps standing over him. However, a quick glance around the room revealed that he was not in the Squad Four hospital. The room was bare save for his bed and a table on which the remains of his broken zanpakuto lay.

And the room bore no door to the outside hall. Instead, many iron bars separated the room from the hall.

"Wh-where am I?" he asked weakly.

"Ah, you're awake," the Squad Four member said. "Lieutenant Kira found you after your fight with the ryoka and brought you for medical treatment."

"Then why am I imprisoned?"

"Captain Kuchiki ordered that you be placed under arrest for acting alone."

"I see." Renji relaxed and looked up at the ceiling. "Have they decided what my punishment will be?"

"I don't know. The captains held an emergency meeting after it was discovered that the ryoka had defeated you. They've declared a state of war, and the captains and lieutenants have been authorized to carry and use their zanpakutos. But there was no word on what they planned to do with you."

"So the captains are on the move," Renji observed.

"Yes. Now that the captains are getting involved, I'm sure this rykoa mess will all be sorted out shortly."

* * *

They began moving again as soon as Hanataro woke up.

"The coast is clear," Hanataro said as he looked out over the previous day's battlefield.

"You'd think they'd have more security, considering what happened here yesterday," Ganju said.

"They probably did a sweep of the area and assumed we'd moved on," Uryu said.

"In any case, we still need to get up those stairs," Toshiro said.

They began to climb the staircase. The previous day's mist had obscured just how many stairs there were, and the climb was longer than they had previously imagined.

They proceeded slowly so that the weaker members of the group would not tire out just from the climb.

It took a while, but eventually they made it to the top of the staircase.

The city they had seen on the hill the day before now stood before them. The large columns and skyscraper-sized buildings were made of a finer and stronger material than the structures of the rest of the Seretei.

"No one up here either," Uryu observed.

"Why is their security so lax? Orihime asked.

"It's been hundreds of years since anyone ever broke into the Seireitei," Hanataro said. "I guess they don't know what to do about intruders anymore."

"Maybe," Toshiro said. "But the longer we take the more time they have to figure it out. Let's go."

They began to run forward, but they did not get very far.

The air around them suddenly seemed to increase in weight, pushing them down.

"Whaaaaat's goooooiiiiing ooooon?" Ganju yelled, though his voice sounded distorted. The pressure was so great that their hearing was being affected.

"Soooome kiiiiind ooof iiimmeeeense reeeeiaaaatsuuuu!" Uryu yelled back.

"Ruuuuuuun!" Toshiro called out to the others.

They broke into a sprint. But the buildings and columns seemed to pass them by in slow motion.

'What's going on?' Toshiro wondered. 'We're running as fast as we can, but we can't seem to put any distance between ourselves and that Reiatsu. It's like my legs are moving through sand and there's a mountain on my shoulders.'

Hanataro collapsed. Ganju and Chad turned back to help him.

"I…can't…" Hnataro said weakly. "I have…no strength…left…"

Chad picked Hanataro up and continued running.

Toshiro heard a voice in his ear. "Are you the one?"

Toshiro stopped and turned to look at where the voice came from. High above, on the roof of one of the tallest buildings around them, he caught a glimpse of a large figure silhouetted against the sky.

"How long are you going to keep looking over there?" the same voice came from behind him.

Before Toshiro could react, a sword burst through his chest. He opened his mouth in a silent scream and raised his hand to the wound – only to find nothing there.

'What the? I could have sword I was stabbed,' he thought.

He turned around to face the large figure that had moved behind him. 'Is this all his doing?'

The man was large, taller than Chad. His long black hair was neatly arranged in larged spikes that each ended in a bell. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye and what was unmistakably a white captain's haori.

"Are you Toshiro Hitsugaya?" the man asked.

He towered over Toshiro, who was feeling very small.

"Who wants to know?" he managed to ask.

"Come on. I'm sure Ikkaku already told you."

Toshiro couldn't contain his gasp.

 _Would you say that you are the strongest in your group?"_

 _That made Toshiro pause. "Maybe."_

 _The Shinigami smiled. "Then watch out for our captain, Zaraki Kenpachi. He's not interested in weaklings. If you are the strongest, he'll be coming for_ _you."_

 _"Is he powerful?" Toshiro asked._

 _"When you_ _meet him, you'll see,_ _if_ _you can survive long enough for your brain to comprehend his strength."_

"I'm Captain of Squad Eleven, Kenpachi Zaraki, and I'm here to fight you to the death," he declared.

Toshiro took a reflexive step back.

'So this is the Captain we've been hearing so much about. This reiatsu – his reiatsu – is incredible. There's no way we can run.'

"What's wrong?" Zaraki asked. "Is something wrong with your hearing? I've just challenged you to a fight to the death."

'His presence is so strong, it's like there's no one else here!'

Toshiro's eyes widened in realization and he looked back at his comrades. Hanataro and Orihime had both fainted. Ganju was on his knees. Uryu was leaning against a wall. Only Chad was firmly planted on his feet, and he was carrying both Orihime and Hanataro. But Chad's face betrayed the effort it was taking for him to remain standing.

"Wow! Look at all that drool!"

Toshiro was shocked when a little girl, even smaller than him, appeared on his shoulder. She wore the black kimono of a Shinigami and had bright pink hair.

"You must have scared him pretty bad to make him drool like that, Kenny!"

Toshiro stumbled back in surprise, causing the little girl to leap back to Zaraki.

"Oops. I think I made him mad," she said.

'What the? Who is this kid? And how can she be so unaffected by this reiatsu?' he wondered.

"You, little girl," Toshiro called out. "Who are you?"

"Who, me?" she said cheerfully. "I'm Yachiru Kusajishi, the Lieutenant of Squad Eleven!"

'She's a lieutenant, like Renji? But there's no way Renji could move as fast as she does, or stand up to Kenpachi's reiatsu. Can a lieutenant really be that much more powerful than Renji?'

"Chad, Uryu, Ganju," Toshiro said. "Take Orihime and Hanataro and get out of here. I'll hold him off."

"Are you crazy?" Uryu yelled. "Don't you remember what Yoruichi said? We are not to engage any captains, no matter what! We are to run away!"

"That's not an option," Toshiro said. "The only way any of us are getting away from him is if someone stays behind."

He turned back to face Zaraki. "You keep going until you get to Rukia. I'll join you as soon as I can."

"You can't just ask us to abandon you like this!" Uryu screamed.

Toshiro turned his head to look at Uryu. "Listen to me," he said calmly. "Right now, I'm not fighting to prove anything. Not to this guy, and not to myself. I'm fighting to keep you safe, and to stay alive myself. And I have a better chance of surviving this if I don't have to worry about any of you getting caught in the crossfire."

Uryu grimaced, but nodded. "All right. Chad, Ganju, we're leaving!"

"You go," Toshiro ordered, "and you don't stop until you've reached that tower and rescued Rukia."

"You can count on us, Toshiro," Chad said.

Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief as they ran off. He felt a little lighter, as if part of the reiatsu that had been weighing him down had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Am I correct in assuming that you don't care about going after them?" Toshiro asked.

"Sure," Zaraki answered. "I couldn't care less about your weakling friends or the fate of the Kuchiki girl. I've been waiting for you to get here for some time now in the hope of a decent fight."

"Why are you so interested in me?" Toshiro pressed.

"Didn't I tell you already? I'm here to fight you to the death."

"That doesn't tell me anything!" Toshiro yelled. "Why is someone who I've seen before and who doesn't care about my mission so interested in killing me?"

"Because I heard that you're strong. And I'm only interested in fighting strong people."

Toshiro trembled with fear. 'There's no reasoning with this guy. He's completely insane.'

"I'll tell you what, kid. I'll give you an advantage," Zaraki said.

"An advantage?" Toshiro asked incredulously.

"I'll give you the first strike," Kenpachi explained. He pulled open his haori, exposing his muscular chest. "I'll stand here and you can cut me anywhere you want."

"What?" Toshiro yelled.

"Wow, Kenny," Yachiru said in admiration. "You're the most generous captain ever!"

"Aren't I? I'm just a walking, bleeding heart of generosity."

"Tell me what you're really up to!" Toshiro yelled at Zaraki. "No one would give their opponent a free chance to kill them with one attack. What are you playing at?"

"Why must you be so suspicious?" Zaraki asked.

"Is it your zanpakuto's ability?" Toshiro asked. "Does it draw power from your enemy's attacks?"

Zaraki spit in disgust. "Of course not. As if I would stoop to such tactics."

He drew his sword. "My zanpakuto doesn't have a name, or another form. It is always in its released state, because my reiatsu is so huge, I can't seal it."

Toshiro considered the long blade before him. 'Could he be telling the truth? Could someone become this strong without even knowing their zanpakuto's name?'

'In the end it doesn't matter,' he decided. 'He's giving me one chance to get out of this alive, and I have no choice but to take it.'

"All right," he said. "I'll take that free shot you're giving me."

Zaraki smiled. "Good."

"But I warn you," Toshiro said as he drew his sword, "you're going to regret giving me the opportunity to do this."

Zaraki grinned as the air around Toshiro began to glow white.

* * *

As they finally started to get away from Zaraki's reiatsu, Hanataro and Orihime woke up.

"Wait! Toshiro!" Hanataro screamed. "Don't do it!"

"Hold still," Chad said as Hanataro squirmed in his arm.

"What happened?" Orihime asked groggily.

"Toshiro stayed behind so we could get away," Uryu explained.

"We can't leave Toshiro behind!" Hanataro screamed. "We can't!"

"We have no choice," Uryu said.

"You don't understand," Hanataro said. "Toshiro can't win by himself, even will all his skill! It's impossible! He'll be killed!"

"Do you know that guy, Hanataro?" Ganju asked.

"He is…" Hanataro explained, "he is the captain of the infamous Squad Eleven, Kenpachi Zaraki. The name Kenpachi is passed down through the generations to the one among the Thirteen Court Guard Squads who most savors fighting and killing. The name Kenpachi means that the one bearing it can never go down, no matter how many times he is cut."

"It goes way beyond any question of power or weakness or skill or strength. He can't die! He's invincible! And if Toshiro fights him, then he's certain to die at his hands!"

"If any of that is true," Uryu said while pushing his glasses up, "then we certainly cannot go back."

"But-"

"If this Kenpachi truly cannot be killed, then any help we give Toshiro would be worse than useless. We'd be needlessly throwing our lives away and wasting his sacrifice. Our only option is to continue with the mission."

He looked around at Chad and Orihime. "What do the two of you have to say?"

"I don't like it," Chad said, "but I agree. We have no choice."

"Orihime?"

She held her hands close to her mouth. "It's so unfair, to force us to choose like this. I don't know if I can-"

She was cut off by the sound of thunder.

They all looked up. The clear skies were slowly being covered by dark clouds. Lighning danced around the clouds.

* * *

The light from the one window in the repentance cell faded as the clouds filled the sky.

Rukia stared in wonder as a flash of lightning was followed by a crash of thunder.

'What's going on? The sky was clear a moment ago.'

'Is there a battle going on?'

She looked down sadly. 'Toshiro, if you are here, please leave. Forget about me. There are forces here you cannot possibly comprehend.'

* * *

"Is this whether normal in the Soul Society?" Chad asked Ganju.

"No. I don't think I've ever seen a storm come out of nowhere like this."

Uryu looked at the way they came with growing apprehension.

'That's Toshiro's reiatsu. But it's so huge, and still growing.'

" _And if I do, none of you may survive."_

" _That attack doesn't even begin to compare to the power of my own zanpakuto's released state."_

Uryu's eyes widened in realization.

"We've got to run!" he stated. "Now!"

"But – " Orihime began.

"Toshiro's unleashing his full power," Uryu said gravely. "And we don't want to be anywhere near there when he attacks."

* * *

Zaraki's smile widened as he watched Toshiro power up.

"Your reiatsu is first rate," he complimented the child standing before him. "Better than most lieutenants. I can see how Ikkaku lost to you."

Toshiro did not respond. He crouched with his sword at the ready.

"Bring it on," Zaraki said.

But Toshiro did not leap at Zaraki. Instead he leapt straight up.

"Oh? What're you doing?" Zaraki asked. "Running away?"

The sky began to darken as Toshiro raised his sword. He was still rising, as was his reiatsu.

Lightning flashed overhead as the clouds filled the sky completely.

Snow began to fall in the center of the storm. Yachiru, sitting on Zaraki's shoulder, caught a snowflake in her mouth.

"You'd better go, Yachiru," Zaraki told her. "He's about to strike."

Reaching the top of his arc, Toshiro swung his sword and called upon its name.

" **Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"**

Two streams of water and ice formed around his sword. They swirled around the blade until meeting above the tip. Now joined, the stream became larger and larger as it spread out from the sword. When it had reached ten meters long it coalesced into the shape of a gigantic dragon.

"Yes!" Zaraki screamed as the dragon roared high above him. "Come on! This is what I've been waiting for!"

Toshiro swung his blade downward, and the dragon shot straight at Zaraki. The captain of the Eleventh Division did not move a muscle as he was enveloped in the dragon's jaws. The ground around him exploded in a sea of ice and water which spread out in every direction.

Toshiro landed and took a deep breath.

He looked over his handiwork.

Everything was covered in ice for thirty meters in every direction. The walls were covered in a think layer that would not melt soon.

And in the middle of it all was a large formation of ice over six meters high, with jagged edges sticking out far above that. Kenpachi Zaraki was completely encased in this formation, his body unmoving.

"I'm sorry," Toshiro said. "I didn't want to kill you."

He looked up at a nearby building where Yachiru was sitting. She had avoided the attack, for which he was thankful. But he did not know how she would react to the death of her captain.

To his surprise, she remained where she was.

'I'd better catch up with the others,' he thought as he turned to leave.

A feint glow made him turn around.

Zaraki's body was glowing yellow. The light grew brighter and brighter until the ice surrounding him exploded, spraying chunks of ice everywhere.

Toshiro covered his face to shield himself. When there was no more debris, he lowered his hands and gaped in horror at the sight before him.

Zaraki stepped forth from what remained of the ice formation. His hair had become unkempt and some of his bells were missing. His body was covered in little cuts and bruises.

But he was mostly unharmed.

'That's impossible!' Toshiro thought in a panic. 'That was everything I had!'

"Man, those elemental zanpakuto can be a real pain in the ass," Zaraki said. "Hey, kid, that was pretty good! It really got my blood boiling."

Zaraki stepped forward and raised his own zanpakuto. "Now I'm _really_ excited to fight you."

Toshiro was frozen in fright as Zaraki charged at him, thrusting his zanpakuto forward into Toshiro's chest.

"Huh?"

Both of them looked down at the blade that had pierced Toshiro's body.

"You're reiatsu was so high a second ago, and now you can't even block my first attack?" Zaraki asked in disappointment.

He withdrew his blade. Blood gushed forth from the wound, and Toshiro collapsed.

"What a waste," Zaraki said. "I waited all this time for this? You didn't even last long enough for me to get the rust off my sword. This was no fun at all."

'I-I'm really dying,' Toshiro realized. 'It hurts – so much.'

With what little strength he had left, Toshiro looked up at Zaraki, who was walking away. But it was not Zaraki he saw.

It was the winged dragon from his dreams.


	16. Chapter 16

Time seemed to stop as the dragon floated closer to Toshiro.

 **Child**

"Hyorinmaru…" he said weakly.

 **Do you want to fight?**

"No … I never wanted … to fight …"

 **What do you want?**

"What I want … doesn't matter … "Toshiro declared. "It never mattered…"

"What matters … is that I need … to win … to save everyone …"

The dragon spread its wings and enveloped Toshiro in them.

* * *

He fell for what seemed like an eternity.

'Am I dead?' Toshiro wondered. 'What does it even mean, to die in the Soul Society, where dead souls go?'

 **How long are you going to stand there?**

Toshiro opened his eyes. He was back in the frozen plain of Hyorinmaru.

He reached for his chest where Captain Zaraki had stabbed him, but there was no wound.

A sword dropped at his feet.

 **Pick it up.**

Toshiro grabbed the sword. It was shorter than Hyorinmaru, with a standard blade and an unremarkable grip. But it felt unwieldy in his small hands, unlike Hyorinmaru.

"What is this?" Toshiro asked.

 **A standard zanpakuto which is given to low-ranking Shinigami who are unworthy of joining the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.**

"Ok, but what am I supposed to do with it?"

 **Hold onto it. It is your sword after all.**

"No it isn't," Toshiro protested. "My sword is Hyonrimaru. It's you."

 **You mean this?**

The dragon lifted a clawed hand in which it held Toshiro's zanpakuto.

 **You are not worthy of this blade.**

The dragon struck the sword into the ground and backed away. Toshiro ran up to the sword and attempted to pull it out.

"Ugggghhh," Toshiro groaned as he pulled, but the sword did not budge.

 **I told you, you are unworthy.**

"Out of the way!" a strangely high-pitched voice yelled.

There was a flash of white as a hand struck Toshiro in the stomach, knocking him over.

As Toshiro rose, he looked at the newcomer who had assaulted him.

"What the hell?"

Standing in front of Toshiro was another Toshiro, one with completely white skin and a nearly all white kimono.

While this figure was almost all white, it's eyes were black with orange pupils, and the inside of it's mouth was completely black.

The figure gripped the hilt of the sword in the ground with both hands and lifted the blade effortlessly.

"What are you?" Toshiro asked this figure that had succeeded where he had failed.

"Come on, you know me, _partner,"_ the figure answered.

Toshiro's hands shook as he raised the standard zanpakuto Hyorinmaru had given him. 'I don't understand. There shouldn't be anyone but Hyorinmaru here.'

 **Now begins the test to decide whether or not you deserve to wield me.**

 **If you truly want me to return, then you must take me from yourself.**

 **This time, your enemy is you.**

The white Toshiro laughed. "You think you're going to take this sword away from me? Good luck, _partner."_

He launched himself at Toshiro, who raised the sword he had been given to block. Toshiro was pushed back by the force of his doppelganger's attack.

The doppelganger broke off the attack, but Toshiro continued to slide backwards even after their swords disengaged.

Toshiro was breathing heavily after he finally brought himself to a stop. "This isn't fair! How am I supposed to beat a weapon like Hyorinmaru with this? It's like fighting with a toy sword!"

"The better question," the doppelganger responded, "is how you ever lost with a sword like this in the first place!"

He threw the sword at Toshiro, who just rolled out of the way.

'Throwing the sword itself,' Toshiro thought as his doppelganger used Hyorinmaru's chain to quickly pull the weapon back. 'Never occurred to me to throw that end. This guy's creative.'

"Tell me, what are you so afraid of?" the doppelganger asked. "What do you think Hyonrinmaru is?"

"My zanpakuto," Toshiro answered.

"And what is a zanpakuto?" the doppelganger pressed as he threw Hyorinmaru again. "Is it a weapon?"

"Well, yes," Toshiro said.

"And there's your problem," the doppelganger said. He pointed Hyorinmaru at Toshiro. A long dragon of ice and water, identical to the dragon Toshiro had summoned against Kenpachi Zaraki, shot forth from the tip of the blade.

The dragon surrounded Toshiro and began to circle around him.

"You're so scared of the power in your hands that you separate it from your own power," the doppelganger continued. "The power to kill so easily, that's not Toshiro Hitsugaya's. No. That's only Hyorinmaru's."

Toshiro backflipped out of the ring of ice created by the ice dragon.

"You're saying that I've been mentally limiting myself," he observed.

"And so much more. Do you even know what Hyorinmaru wants? What it needs? Or are you so scared of your weapon that you're too scared to ask?

Toshiro stopped and stood in place.

'That's right,' he thought. 'Zanpakuto are more than just flashy swords. They're living beings. And they have to have needs and wants like everyone else.'

'And I was too scared of Hyorinmaru's power to even consider its feelings.'

"I'm sorry, Hyorinmaru," Toshiro said to the dragon. "I've been neglecting you, ignoring you this whole time."

"But I'm here now. So tell me, what is it you want from me?"

 **What is it I want?**

The dragon lowered its head.

 **I seek a home, a place I belong.**

Toshiro's eyes widened in shock. Memories flooded through him.

 _"Why are you doing this to my brother!?"_

 _"Because he's a freak!"_

" _Why does everyone seem to hate me?"_

 _"Half the grade's scared stiff of me."_

 _"So you don't have any friends at school?"_

" _Not really."_

 _"I've never had a friend to watch movies with. It's a different experience from watching them by myself."_

 _"If you're hoping to start an 'I hate Toshiro' fan club, be my guest. You'll get plenty of members."_

'He's just like me,' Toshiro realized. 'I've always been alone. I never fit in, never belonged, either among kids my own age or in my grade.'

'We're the same. And means Hyorinmaru's power, that power I've been afraid to use, is the same as my power. That's what they're trying to tell me.'

''I'm no better than that Zaraki, wanting to fight with just my power, and not my zanpakuto's.'

"I'll come back," Toshiro told Hyorinmaru. "I won't leave you alone in here. I'll come back and visit. But to do that I have to survive."

"So please, let me fight with you one last time."

Toshiro noticed that the sword in his hand felt lighter. He looked down. The sword he held was longer, with a distinctive four-pointed guard and blue hilt.

"Thank you, Hyorinmaru."

* * *

Captain Kenpachi Zaraki sensed something.

He stopped walking and looked behind him.

'What the hell?'

Toshiro was rising. A white aura surrounded him.

'He was dead a second ago!'

Toshiro looked down at his chest. The wound he had received was covered by a layer of ice, which stopped the bleeding.

Toshiro leapt at Zaraki, swinging his blade so fast that the captain had no time to get his own sword into position. He slashed opened Zaraki's shoulder.

Zaraki blocked Toshiro's second attack, but Toshiro batted his sword away and cut into his arm.

The force of the attack drove Zaraki back. He stabbed the wall next to him to stop his slide backwards.

'His reiatsu is as high as it was the instant he first released his zanpakuto. Except this time it's staying at that level instead of dropping immediately. In fact, it may be rising even higher than before.'

Toshiro was also surprised by his abilities.

'It feels like all of my senses are overclocked. I'm perceiving the world differently.'

'I can hear every pebble, every piece of debris that's knocked around. 'I can perceive all the water in the air.

'And my sword moves as if it has a mind of its own – which it does.'

Zaraki threw back his head and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Toshiro asked.

"This just became so much fun!" Zaraki yelled. He began to glow yellow as he raised his own reiatsu.

Zaraki launched himself at Tohiro again.

"I love it!" he yelled as Toshiro barely deflected his first attack.

"How did you come back from the dead?"

Toshiro ducked under Zaraki's next strike and slashed at the captain's leg, slicing open his left thigh.

"And how come you're so much stronger now?"

Toshiro backed away, disturbed at Zaraki's happiness at getting cut up.

"This battle has opened the door to so many questions!" Zaraki yelled. "But I'm willing to forget about them for the moment. Let's just have fun with this fight!"

Toshiro jumped back, but he swung his sword at Zaraki as he did so.

"Guncho Tsurara!"

Two dozen small spikes of ice appeared before Toshiro and launched themselves at Zaraki. The Elenth Division captain raised his sword blocked the spikes that were aimed at his head, but the remainder embedded themselves in his torso.

Zaraki grinned maniacally and powered up even more, expelling the spikes from his body. He attacked Toshiro again.

'What's with this guy?' Toshiro wondered as he blocked the attack. "No matter where I cut him he doesn't slow down.

Toshiro pressed forward, creating a wall of ice that pushed Zaraki back until he was against a wall.

Zaraki began to laugh maniacally again.

"At last, I have met my equal. In fact, you might even be slightly better than me!"

"I can't remember when I ever felt such elation! Against you I think I can fight no restraints at all!"

He lifted his hand to his eye and removed his eyepatch.

Toshiro had to shield his face as energy radiated from his opponent.

'What's going on? His reiatsu just shot through the roof!'

"Are you confused?" Kenpachi asked. "Allow me to explain."

He held up the eyepatch, which Toshiro now saw had several mouths with sharp teeth on the other side. "I had the technology department develop this little monster for me. It consumes large amounts of spirit energy from the one wearing it. Now that I've taken it off, I'm releasing 100% of my reiatsu!"

He dropped the eyepatch and swung his sword. The force of his swing caused the entire building next to him to collapse.

"And I'm going to use every bit of it to kill you."

Toshiro grimaced as the sounds of the falling chunks of metal and plaster overwhelmed his now more sensitive hearing.

But he also heard something else. Someone was screaming.

He looked around. There should not have been anyone other than Yachiru near them, but the screaming continued.

Toshiro closed his eyes and attempted to focus only on the sound of the screaming as the debris stopped falling. He pinpointed its location and opened his eyes.

The scream was coming from Zaraki's zanpakuto.

 **So you hear it as well.**

"His sword is in pain," Toshiro said.

 **You can hear its screams, but he cannot. He has faith only in himself, and none for anyone else, even his own zanpakuto.**

"But I'm placing my trust in you, Hyorinmaru. I can't beat him alone. I need you to guide my sword."

 **Very well.**

Toshiro raised his sword and began to glow again.

"Even now, your reaitsu continues to rise," Zaraki observed happily.

"I am fighting with Hyorinmaru," Toshiro responded. "His power and mine are one."

Zaraki smirked. "Fighting together with your zanpakuto? What a joke. Zanpakutos are nothing more than weapons. That's approach of a weakling who doesn't have confidence in his own strength."

"No," Toshiro said. "It's the approach of someone who knows that he is never alone."

Toshiro closed his eyes as Zaraki prepared to attack, placing his trust in Hyorinmaru to guide his hands.

The long dragon of ice and water burst forth from his sword, surrounding him.

The two combatants charged at each other, the dragon moving above Toshiro.

They struck each other with their full strength, Zaraki with his sword, and Toshiro with his sword and the dragon.

The ground and all the nearby buildings shook at the incredible force of their final blows. Even Yachiru was forced to shield her face from the spray of water and ice that exploded in all directions.

When the sounds of battle had ceased, Yachiru wiped pieces of ice out of her hair and looked out over the battlefield in amazement.

Everything was covered in ice for hundreds of meters in all directions.

And in the center of the devastation the two warriors still stood.

Each combatant had struck his sword into the torso of the other. Zaraki's sword was embedded in Toshiro's side, while Toshiro's had gone into Zaraki's stomach and emerged out of his back.

They both pulled their blades out at the same time, causing blood to spray everywhere.

Toshiro opened his eyes, but they could not focus. He collapsed at Zaraki's feet.

Zaraki examined his Zanpakuto. It was covered in a thin layer of ice. He gave it a small swing to try to shake the ice off, but instead the blade cracked in to.

"Well I'll be," Zaraki said. "You won."

Then he collapsed as well.


	17. Chapter 17

Yachiro slid gracefully on the ice as she approached the fallen combatants.

Toshiro was vaguely aware of her presence as she stood over him.

'Is she here to finish me off?' he wondered. 'I've no strength to move.'

But instead of drawing her sword, Yachiro bowed to him.

"Thank you so much," she said enthusiastically. "Kenny had a great time fighting you, Whitey. It's been a very long time since I've seen Kenny have so much fun! I really appreciate it!"

She walked over to where Kenpachi Zaraki lay and lifted the large captain up.

"Try to stay alive, ok?" she said to Toshiro. "That way, maybe you'll get to play with Kenny again someday!"

She leapt off, carrying Zaraki on her shoulders.

"Everyone … here … is insane … " Toshiro muttered as his consciousness slipped away.

* * *

Uryu stopped.

"What is it?" Orihime asked.

He looked back. "I don't sense either Zaraki or Toshiro anymore. It seems the battle is over."

"Did … did Toshiro win?" Orihime asked nervously.

"I have no idea," Uryu answered. "For all I know they may have both killed each other."

"That's horrible."

Orihime began to cry.

"What's the point of fighting, if both sides get killed?"

Ganju spoke up. "The point is that we don't have to worry about that crazy captain coming after us anymore."

'I should have kept my big mouth shut,' Uryu thought. 'We can't afford to linger here in the open, not when we're this close to our goal.'

As if to emphasize his point, a group of six Shinigami appeared from around the corner ahead of them and attacked Uryu as his back was turned.

Uryu turned to look at his attackers. They had all swung their zanpakutos at him, but they were stopped by an orange barrier.

He spared a glance back at his teammates. "Orihime."

She stood with her hands outstretched. Tears were still flowing down her cheeks, but her eyes shown with steely determination.

"We may have lost Toshiro, but we're not going to lose anyone else," she said.

The six Shinigami moved back and readied themselves for another attack. Chad stepped forward and swung his fist at them. He directed an energy blast at the Shinigami, knocking them all out with one attack.

"Good work, both of you," Uryu said. "Now let's - "

A high-pitched voice cut him off. "Very interesting."

They stared as a figure literally walked out of the wall ahead of them. He wore a strange white hat which extended far to the side of his head in two points, and his face was skeleton-like, painted white and black.

But the most frightening part of his appearance was the white haori he wore.

'Another captain!' Uryu realized. 'This is the worst-case scenario!'

"Those were very interesting techniques," the captain said. "It's the first time I've seen anything like either of them. Tell me, how would you two feel about becoming my research subjects?"

He began walking towards them. "And is the person with that sand technique among you as well? I'd very much like to study him too."

"I'll limit administration of drugs to just eight times a day, and mechanical experiments to five hours a day. And I'll do my best to refrain from bodily alterations that carry the risk of death."

"This guy's as nuts as Kenpachi," Ganju said.

'A mad scientist,' Uryu observed. 'His reiatsu doesn't begin to compare to Kenpachi Zaraki's, but he must have a thousand more tricks up his sleeve.'

"Well, what do you say?" the captain asked. "I think these are quite exceptional conditions for mere research subjects."

Uryu had had enough. He disappeared and reappeared directly behind the captain with his bow drawn.

"So you're the Quincy I detected earlier?" the captain asked. "Quite a rare breed. I wonder how long it's been since I saw a live specimen. Unfortunately, I've already finished my research on your kind."

"Finished your research?" Uryu asked. "What does that mean? Who are you?"

"What?" the captain asked in surprise. "Did you ryoka just rush into your enemy's base without properly investigating first? I'd have thought you would have at least read up on the 13 people at the top."

"We know you're a captain," Uryu said. "Believe it or not, you're not the first one we've encountered."

"Are you saying you met another captain, and survived?" the captain asked incredulously. "Very interesting indeed."

"Very well. I am the Captain of Squad Twelve and Chief of the Technological Development Department, Mayuri Kurosutchi."

Uryu called out to his comrades. "Everyone, get out of here! I'll handle him."

"What?!" Orihime screamed. "No!"

"He wants everyone but me, so I'm the one he's going to get."

"No!" Orihime yelled again. "We already lost Toshiro! We can't lose you too!"

"You won't," Uryu assured her. "I promise you, I'm going to survive this, but the rest of you need to complete the mission."

"He's right," Ganju told her. "It's too dangerous for us."

Orihime looked down as tears once again fell from her eyes. "Uryu … if you die … _I'll never forgive you!"_

Ganju grabbed her by the arm and began to run away. Chad and Hanataro ran with them.

"Did I say you could run?" Kurosutchi asked. He extended his arm towards them. His hand shot out like a cannonball, attached to his body by a long cord.

The hand almost reached Orihime when Uryu shot it out of the air.

Kurosutchi glared at Uryu.

"I am your opponent, captain. And on my honor as a Quincy, you shall not lay a hand on any of my friends."

* * *

Yoruichi found Toshiro lying in the field of ice created in his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Oh dear, you've certainly made a mess of this place, as well as yourself," the cat observed.

"But against someone like Kenpachi Zaraki, you could not have expected any less. You fought well, and I am impressed."

Yoruichi looked out towards the tower with the Repentance Cell. "It seems that your Quincy friend is engaged in another battle, but I am afraid that I cannot help him without leaving you here to die."

Yoruichi began to glow.

* * *

"If we're gonna get to the repentance cell, we need to get to higher ground," Ganju said. "And I've got just the thing."

He pulled out a grapple. "This'll get us up there."

"I don't know," Hanataro said. "Can we do this without Toshiro and without Uryu? They were the smartest and strongest of all of us."

"We have to," Orihime said firmly. "If we don't succeed, then Toshiro and Uryu will have sacrificed themselves for nothing."

"They're counting on us," Chad said. "And so is Rukia."

* * *

Uryu had taken several hits after Kurosutchi had released his zanpakuto, but he could still move thanks to his ransotengai ability, which allowed him to maintain control of his limbs even after his nerve functions were severed.

But any physical pain was secondary to the anger and hate he felt towards the man before him, the man who he now knew was responsible for his grandfather's death.

"You may be a more interesting specimen than I first thought," Kurosutchi said. "I've decided not to kill you after all. I'll take you back to my lab alive."

'I can't beat him without releasing my Letz Stile,' Uryu thought. 'But if I use it, I'll lose my powers and won't be able to protect the others.'

Kurosutchi pulled his left ear off. The ear transformed into a scythe, which was attached to Kurosutchi's head by a string of flesh.

'Wait!'

Uryu felt something. It was faint, but recognizable.

'So, you did survive.'

"What are you smiling about?" Kurosutchi asked.

"Nothing much," Uryu said. "Now I know I can do what it takes to beat you without having to worry about my friends."

"Oh? And what is it you can do to beat me?"

Uryu reached for the release on his Sanrei Glove.

'I leave the rest in your hands, Toshiro.'

He pulled the release, and knew his battle was over.

* * *

Yoruichi stood over Toshiro's body.

"You'll be all right now."

The black cat looked back at the entrance to the hideout it had brought the boy to recover. "Hmmm. It seems Uryu has won his battle as well. Most impressive."

Yoruichi heard groaning and turned back to Toshiro. "Welcome back to the world of the living, in a manner of speaking, of course."

"Yoruichi," Toshiro said. "You saved me."

"Yes. Your wounds were quite severe, but you have an unusually strong life force. It kept you alive long enough for me to repair much of the damage.

"But this thing also played a part in saving your life."

Yoruichi pushed a mask towards Toshiro. The mask was white with three red stripes on its forehead. It was cracked open by the left eye from Zaraki's strike.

"That was in my kimono?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes. It stopped Kenpachi's blade from cutting you in half."

"Weird," Toshiro said. "I've never seen it before."

"Hmmm. Then if you don't mind, I'll hold onto it," Yoruichi said.

"I don't mind."

"Good."

Yoruichi looked at the mask with concern. 'It's probably nothing, but I can't be too careful.'

"How long do you think it will it take me to recover?" Toshiro asked.

"I'm not quite as skilled as Squad Four at healing, so you shouldn't move for the rest of the day at least."

Toshiro looked up. "Back home I'd probably be crippled for life with injuries like this. But here being out of commission for a day seems like forever."

"Kenpachi will also be healed quickly, but I do not think you will have to worry about him again. He will seek to get stronger before he ever challenges you again."

"That's good news, at least. Do you know how the others are doing?"

Yoruichi looked back again. "They seem to be doing fine. In fact, they're about to make it to the Repentance Cell."

* * *

Ganju and Chad knocked out the two guards who stood before the bridge leading to the repentance cell.

"We're here," Hanataro said. "Rukia's cell is just across this bridge."

"After all this time," Orihime said, "we're really going to see Rukia."

"It's strange," Chad said.

"What is?" Ganju asked.

"I don't sense anything from the tower in front of us. This close, I was sure I'd feel Rukia's presence. Could they have moved her?"

"That's just because of the sekkiseki rock the tower is made of," Hanataro said. "It stops people from sensing the reiatsu of others and lowers one's own reiatsu."

"It's the perfect way to keep someone with strong spirit energy like a Shinigami prisoner," Ganju said.

"I see," Chad said.

They ran across the bridge as fast as they could.

"Looks like it's a vault-style door," Ganju said when they reached the entrance to the cell. He turned to Chad. "Think you can break it down?"

"That won't be necessary," Hanataro said, producing a small wooden object from his kimono. "I borrowed this spare key from the storage room in the underground tunnel last night."

"It would draw less attention," Chad observed.

"But what happens if they found out you took it?" Ganju asked. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"Probably," Hanataro added. "But I thought about it last night. Toshiro keeps on getting beat up, but he keeps on fighting while I just run away. Everyone has fought, except for me. It's not very honorable of me."

"Hanataro," Orihime said.

"I want to save Rukia too," Hanataro continued. "But I haven't been doing enough to help. So I've decided that I'm going to give it all I've got from now on, even if it means breaking the rules sometimes and getting in trouble later. Of course, stealing a lousy key hardly compares to the fighting that you guys can do."

"I know exactly what you mean," Orihime said. "I feel like I'm always standing around and watching, but never helping."

"Don't sell yourselves short, either of you," Ganju said. "Without your healing and your knowledge of the sewers, we'd have never made it this far. And Orihime, your shield has saved us multiple times."

"The fact that we're here means you've done enough."

"Thank you," Orihime said.

Hanataro inserted the key, and the door rose.

"Now I'll finally see what all this fuss is about," Ganju said. "To tell you the truth, I've never heard of anyone going to such lengths just to save one person before."

"Rukia!" Orihime called. 'Are you here? We've come to get you out of here!"

A small figure in a white kimono stood at the far end of the cell.

"Orihime … Chad … " Rukia said. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you," Chad said.

"How did you – " Rukia began to ask when Hanataro ran up to her.

"I'm here too."

"Hanataro?"

Orihime ran up and hugged Rukia.

"It's so good to see you again!"

Rukia stood in stunned silence.

"Come on," Hanataro said. "Let's get out of here. Ganju, do you – "

Ganju had not moved an inch from the entrance the entire time. He stared at Rukia with his eyes bulging and twitching.

"What's wrong?" Hanataro asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rukia looked the stranger over and saw a symbol on his pants.

"You're from the Shiba clan," she observed.

"Do you two know each other?" Hanataro asked.

Ganju's mouth twitched in something between a smile and a leer. "Yes, I know her. As if I could ever forget that face."

"The face of the Shinigami who killed my brother."

"What?" Orihime and Hanataro both cried.

"Rukia … Rukia would never do something like that," Orihime said.

"That's right," Hanataro agreed. "You must be mistaken."

"He had his throat slashed and he was stabbed in the chest," Ganju said, his entire body shaking with pent up rage. "And what's more, she admitted it."

"But that's –"

"It's all right, Hanataro," Rukia said. "What he says is true."

All of them looked at Rukia in horror as she said "I am the one who killed Kaien Shiba."

Ganju ran forward and grabbed the front of Rukia's kimono.

"Ganju!"

"You-you-" Ganju was so infuriated that he could not get the words out.

Hanataro grabbed Ganju's arm. "No! We came here to save her! Toshiro and Uryu are counting on us!"

"I don't care!"

"Let her go," Chad said softly.

All eyes turned to Chad, who had summoned his transformed arm. A torrent of energy streamed out of what appeared to be a vent by his shoulder.

"I don't want to have to hurt you, Ganju," Chad warned.

Orihime covered her mouth. "No," she whispered to herself. "We can't fight among ourselves."

Ganju grunted and threw Rukia to the floor. "Do what you want. But I'm – "

A shockwave went through them as the air suddenly became heavier.

They all looked out the entrance to the cell. Far across the bridge, a figure in white began to come into view.

* * *

"So," Toshiro asked, "how did you get me to this place? Did someone else help you carry me?"

"No," Yoruichi answered. "I have no trouble carrying people, especially children, once I revert to my original form."

"Original form?"

"Ahh, that's right. I've never shown you and your friends my true form. I suppose there's little point in keeping it a secret."

Yoruichi stepped back and crouched in front of Toshiro.

"Behold! Here is my true appearance!"

Yoruichi began to glow. Smoke rose from his font paws, partially obscuring him. He rose, gradually losing fur while standing more and more upright.

Toshiro stared in awe and shock as the cat assumed human form.

"You're a woman?"

"Yes," Yoruichi said. She had dark skin and purple hair. Only her eyes were the same color as when she had been a cat. "You're even more shocked than I thought you would be. I can't blame you though. People always seem to assume I'm a man because of the voice I use when I'm in cat form."

She began to walk towards Toshiro. "No matter how many times I reveal my true form, it's always fun to see the reaction I get."

Toshiro covered his eyes and looked away.

"Is something the matter?"

"Please put some clothes on," Toshiro muttered in embarrassment.

"Oh?" Yoruichi looked down. She was just as naked as she had been it cat form. "Ah yes, I do tend to forget that."

She walked to a cabinet by the wall and began to get dressed. "You can open your eyes."

'Ugh. I forgot how uncomfortable it is to wear clothes. I wish you were a few years older. Then you wouldn't mind seeing me naked."

"You are making me very uncomfortable right now," Toshiro said.

"All right, all right."

When she was finished getting dressed, Yoruichi sat next to Toshiro.

"This is how I got you up here," she said, handing Toshiro a stick with a small bird skull sticking out of the end.

"What's this do?" he asked.

"It's a flying device. If you concentrate and put your spirit energy in it, it allows you to fly."

"Really?" Toshiro asked. "You had this the whole time? It would have made everything so much easier."

"If there was only one or two of us," Yoruichi said. "There's only of these in existence."

"I'm guessing Urahara made it."

"That's a good – "

They stopped as a shockwave seemed to pass through them.

"This reiatsu," Toshiro said, recognizing the presence he felt. "It's him."

"It's coming from the Repentance Cell," Yoruichi said.

"That's where you said the others are!"

Toshiro shot up and ran for the exit.

"Wait Toshiro!" Yoruichi screamed at him.

He turned to her with a serious expression. "I know this man. He'll kill them all without a second thought."

"And what do you think you can do in your condition?" she demanded.

"Quite a lot," he stated firmly.

Toshiro held out the flying device and began to pour his energy into it. Bony protrusions extended from the bird skull as a strap wound itself around Toshiro's arm.

The bones extended fifteen feet, a cloth-like material spreading between them to form an enormous wing.

Toshiro ran out of the hideout and flew away.

"That idiot," Yoruichi growled under her breath.

* * *

"What's with this reiatsu?" Ganju asked.

"This is bad!" Hanataro said. "That's Byakuya Kuchiki, the Captain of Squad Six!"

"He's the one who hurt Toshiro and took Rukia, right?" Orihime asked Chad.

Chad nodded. He looked around at his comrades. All of them were struggling to remain on their feet under the pressure of Byakuya's reiatsu. Only he could still stand upright.

"Stay here," Chad said, walking out of the cell.

"Wait!" Rukia cried.

"What does he think he's doing?" Ganju asked. "He means to challenge the head of the Kuchiki clan by himself?"

Hanataro collapsed, and Orihime ran over to help him up.

"Ganju, can you help him?" Orihime asked.

"Um, sure."

"What do you think you're doing?" Rukia demanded.

Orihime gave her a look of determination. "I'm going to help Chad."

Chad and Byakuya each walked slowly across the bridge, meeting halfway.

Orihime, Ganju, Hanataro, and Rukia walked out of the Repentance Cell as Chad and Byakuya stared each other down from ten meters apart.

Byakuya spoke first. "I sensed a faint presence moving towards the Repentance Cell and I thought it was a powerful individual suppressing it's reiatsu to avoid detection. But it was only a group of bugs."

Rukia ran forward. "I've got to stop this or Chad's going to be killed."

She collapsed after running just a few feet.

'All the time I spent in the sekkiseki cell has weakened me,' she realized. 'I can't even move.'

"Move," Chad said firmly to Byakuya, "or I'll make you move."

Byakuya took a step forward, and Chad threw a punch. The blast released from his arm was even larger than the blasts he had previously unleashed.

Byakuya's eyes widened as the blast bared down on him. It caused an explosion as it struck.

Orihime, Hanataro, Ganju, and Rukia covered their faces as the wind from the blast reached them.

'I don't understand what's going on,' Rukia thought. 'Chad was always unnaturally strong for a human, but when did he gain this power?'

The place where Byakuya had been standing was covered in smoke.

Chad brought his arm back to fire another blast when Byakuya stepped out of the smoke.

'Impossible!' Chad thought in horror.

"He's not even scratched!" Hanataro yelled.

"You surprise me, ryoka," Byakuya said. "On this narrow bridge I had no way to dodge, and had I not protected myself with a kido barrier, your attack could have caused serious damage."

Byakuya drew his sword. "Forgive me for assuming you were not a worthy opponent."

"No, brother!" Rukia called out. "Don't do it!"

Orihime extended her arms. "Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Sotten Keshu I reject!"

The orange barrier appeared in front of Chad.

Byakuya held out his sword. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The blade of Byakuya's sword disappeared, leaving Chad dumfounded.

" **Run away!"** Rukia screamed.

One moment Chad was fine. The next he seemed to explode in a fountain of blood as cuts erupted all over his body.

Orihime dropped her barrier in her shock and horror at what had just occurred.

Byakuya raised the hilt of his sword to finish Chad off.

"Whoa there!"

A hand grabbed Byakuya's arm, preventing him from delivering the finishing blow.

"Phew. That was a close one," a captain with long white hair said from behind Byakuya. "Pretty dangerous."

"Captain Ukitake," Rukia said.

"Hi, Rukia," Ukitake called out with a smile. "It's good to see you!"

Byakuya lowered his sword. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ukitake said. "Releasing your zanpakuto in a place like this is a first class offense, even if it is to repel ryoka."

"The wartime exemption allows the unrestricted use of our zanpakuto," Byakuya responded.

"Wartime exemption?" Ukitake asked in surprise. "Has the ryoka invasion gotten that bad? Was is a ryoka that killed Aizen?"

A shock ran through them as they sensed something approaching.

"What reaitsu is this?" Ukitake asked. "Clearly it's at the level of a captain, but I don't recognize it at all."

Rukia stood up in shock at what she was feeling. "It's impossible. This reiatsu couldn't be …"

A figure flew up from below the bridge so fast that it was a blur to all but the captains.

Rukia could not believe her eyes as the figure slowed down and descended back towards the bridge.

"Toshiro …" she whispered.

Orihime and Hanataro stared in awe as Toshiro landed next to Chad, the wing he used to fly folding itself back into the small device it had started out as.

Toshiro bent over Chad, examining his wounds. He then lifted Chad up and carried him back towards the others.

He carried Chad past Rukia to Hanataro.

"Can you start healing him, Hanataro?"

"S-sure thing," Hanataro stammered.

"Those are strange wounds," Toshito observed. "They don't look like they came from a sword."

He turned to Orihime. "Rukia's brother did that to Chad?"

Orihime nodded.

"Chad must have done pretty well to make Byakuya release his zanpakuto," Toshiro said.

He looked around, taking stock of everyone who was there. "Where's Uryu?"

"We ran into another captain on the way here," Orihime said sadly. "Uryu stayed behind to fight him."

Toshiro looked down.

"Toshiro?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro sighed and looked up again. "Uryu's smart, and he learns from mistakes. We just have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

Toshiro then finally turned his attention to Rukia.

"All that time spent trying to get to you," Toshiro said, "and now that I'm here I don't know what to say."

Rukia struggled to hold back her tears. "You-you fool, Toshiro! I told you never to come after me. I told you, I'd never forgive you if you did."

"Look at you!" she said. "You're all cut up, and there is worse yet to come! And you got Chad and Orihime involved!"

Toshiro looked at Byakuya as he responded. "If you're going to blame anyone for my coming here, blame yourself. I'm just doing what you taught me."

"I never taught anything about acting so recklessly!"

"Isn't that what you did when you gave me your powers?"

"I-"

Toshiro looked at Hanataro. "Besides, I had to come. They're making a sequel to The Incredibles, and you can't very well see it if you're executed."

He smiled at Rukia, who could not help but smile back. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Actually, I've changed a lot."

Toshiro's expression grew serious. "All right, everyone needs to get back in the cell."

"What?"

"It's not going to be safe out here when I start fighting Byakuya. Orihime, make sure to guard the door with your shield."

"Um, ok …" Orihime said nervously.

"Go," Toshiro ordered.

Ganju carried Chad as they moved back into the cell.

"Byakuya," Ukitake asked, "who is this boy? What do you know about him?"

"I know enough," Byakuya said. "He is nothing but a ryoka. I will destroy and this will all end. He'll be dead and his trifling invasion will be over."

Toshiro waited until Orihime had gotten her barrier up, then began to walk towards Byakuya.

"I don't know how you survived or how you regained the powers of a Shinigami," Byakuya told Toshiro, "but you should have remained in the world of the living."

"I couldn't do that," Toshiro said.

"So you just intend to throw your life away?"

"I'm not throwing anything away. I'm going to save Rukia from you."

"Don't talk so big, boy," Byakuya warned.

Byakuya disappeared from in front of Toshiro.

"Where'd he go?" Orihime asked from within the Repentance Cell.

"Flash step," Rukia said in fear.

Toshiro's closed his eyes and listened for footsteps.

He ducked as Byakuya's sword thrust through the air where his chest had been a moment before.

Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise as Toshiro dodged his attack.

Toshiro continued his descent, dropping to the ground. He shot his legs out, knocking Byakuya's legs out from under him.

The others watched from behind Orihime's barrier as Toshrio rose while Byakuya fell.

Byakuya disappeared again just as he was about to collide with the ground.

Toshiro look back across the bridge. Byakuya was standing ten meters away.

"What's the matter?" Toshiro asked. "Why are you backing off?"

"Don't confuse skill with a little luck," Byakuya responded.

Toshiro drew his sword. "Those with skill can make their own luck."

Byakuya flash-stepped again. Toshiro stood still, watching. He brought his sword to bear above the right side of his head, blocking Byakuya's attack.

"A-amazing," Hanataro said as he watched the fight. "Toshiro's got Captain Kuchiki fighting him as an equal."

'It's true,' Rukia thought. 'I can't believe how much more powerful Toshiro has become.'

'His wounding the Grand Fisher and a Menos proved that he was gifted, but to have advanced to the point where he can read Byakuya's flash steps is astounding.

'Still, Byakuya's powers go far beyond that. I have to stop this fight before Byakuya attacks in earnest.'

"Toshiro must be waiting for Captain Kuchiki to release his zanpakuto," Hanataro said.

Rukia looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Toshiro wanted us to hide in here so we'd be safe when he released his own sword, but so far he's fighting with it sealed. So he must be waiting for Captain Kuchiki to release his first."

'Could that be true?' Rukia wondered. 'Even now, he's not using his full power?'

Byakuya and Toshiro broke off.

"You have clearly improved more than I would have thought possible," Byakuya said.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Toshiro asked. "I already know that you're five times stronger than you were when we first met, and thanks to your fight with Chad I've got a pretty could idea what your zanpakuto's ability is."

"But you still don't know what I can do," Toshiro declared.

"Don't get conceited," Byakuya warned, raising his blade. "You leave me no choice. Before you get too full of yourself, I will show you the difference between us – the gap in power you could never hope to bridge, even if you had a thousand years of training."

"Oh no," Rukia said.

"Scatter," Byakuya said.

A long cloth appeared out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Byakuya's blade and holding it in place.

Yoruichi appeared before Byakuya, crouched in front of him and holding the end of the cloth.

"Who is that?" Hanataro asked.

Orihime shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen her before.

"It can't be," Byakuya said.

Yoruichi turned to him. "It's been a long time, Byakuya."

* * *

 _Author's note: The Mayuri/Uryu fight largely played out the same, which is why I only included a small part of it. I don't want to just repeat what the anime or manga did. I was debating whether to have Uryu and Kurosutchi fight at all, but decided to include the fight since losing his Quincy powers here is a big part of how he gets even stronger later on._

 _The story has actually changed quite a bit from when I uploaded the first chapters years ago. Originally the groups in Soul Society would have been split the same way they were in the anime, but when coming back to it now I realized that the chain on Hyonrinmaru, which was always going to be important in the fights, would give them the reach to stick together, and that's why Uryu and Orihime have been with Toshiro, Ganju, and Hanataro the whole time. Chad was always going to join them when he burst through the wall._

 _And speaking of things that have changed, my original idea was that Toshiro and Ichigo would swap places, meaning that Ichigo would be the captain of Squad 10 and he;d have his own subplot. But I find that writing Ichigo is much more difficult than writing other characters. So I've dropped that idea. So expect a different captain to come to the world of the living later on._


	18. Chapter 18

_Sorry for the wait for this chapter. Lots of personal things really got in the way._

Renji panted in his sleep. His torso was still covered in bandages from his fight with Toshiro.

Across the room, his zanpakuto began to glow red.

A figure materialized on his bed. A white baboon with a snake for a tail stood over Renji.

Renji opened his eyes. "Zabimaru?"

" **How long are you going to lie there?"** the baboon asked.

" **Lazy scumbag,"** the snake added.

Renji scoffed. "We haven't seen each other in all this time, and that's the greeting I get? Your manners certainly do leave something to be desired."

" **I'm recovered and ready to fight again,"** the baboon said. **"Now I'm just waiting for you."**

Renji glanced at the glowing zanpakuto, it's segments fully restored.

" **It's time you did your part."**

" **That's right,"** the snake hissed. **"Now get out of that bed and get healed so we can fight again. I want to take on that Hyorinmaru one more time."**

" **And this time I guarantee that we're gonna win,"** both heads of the zanpakuto spirit said.

Renji scoffed. "You idiot. You must have been brain damaged in that battle."

" **Huh?"**

Renji looked away. "He is no longer the one I must fight."

" **He's not? Well then, who is it? Who will you fight now?"**

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki glared at the new arrival.

"Yoruichi Shihoin."

Orihime leaned forward from within the cell. "That's Yoruichi? I he was a cat – and a he."

"My sister didn't say anything about this," Ganju added.

"I've heard that name," Rukia said. "She's the – "

"The former commander in charge of the stealth force, and ex-general of the First Division Punishment Force, Yoruichi Shihoin," Byakuya observed. "I haven't seen your face in a while. You've been in hiding for over 100 years. I thought you were dead."

"What's he talking about Yoruichi?" Toshiro asked. "Is this why you pretended to be a cat all this time?"

Yoruichi looked back at him. "Now is not the time."

Toshiro nodded. "Fine. Now that you're here, between the two of us we should make short work of him."

Yoruichi shook her head. "You still don't understand anything."

Yoruichi seemed to vanish to the eyes of those watching from behind Orihime's shield. When she reappeared, her hand was shoved into Toshiro's largest wound.

Toshiro's eyes widened in shock, as did Byakuya's and Ukitake's at the unexpected move.

Yoruichi pulled her blood-covered hand out of Toshiro's stomach. The young Shinigami looked down at the reopened wound, but even as his head moved, his eyes began to glaze over and he fell into unconsciousness.

"No!" Orihime screamed as she ran forward, dropping her barrier.

Ganju grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Let me go! We have to help him!" she yelled at Ganju.

"There's nothing we can do! You'll just get yourself killed!" Ganju yelled back.

"Besides," he said more calmly, looking at Yoruichi, "I think I know what she's trying to do."

"It's a drug, isn't it?" Ukitake asked as Yoruichi lifted Toshiro's unconscious form onto her right shoulder. "A powerful anesthetic, maybe goten or hoten, forced directly into his body to try to save him."

"What are planning to do with him, Yoruichi," he asked gravely.

"Ukitake…" Yoruichi said.

"Don't waste your time trying to help him," Byakuya warned. "Neither of you will ever escape from here."

Yoruichi allowed herself to grin. "My, just listen to you talking like such a big-shot now, Byakuya," she teased. "And yet I don't believe you've beaten me even once in a game of tag, have you?"

"Shall we give it another try?"

The two warriors disappeared, but the others could feel the strong winds from their movements.

For split seconds, a blurry figure would come into view, only to disappear again. Often, they could not even tell who it was that had appeared.

As they danced around each other, Yoruichi decided to make a break for it. She flash stepped across the length of the bridge.

But Byakuya was there waiting for her.

"Did you really think you could escape me with a flash step that slow?" he asked, standing over her.

Byakuya swung his sword in an underhanded motion, intending to kill both Yoruichi and Toshiro with one stroke.

Byakuya's eyes widened as his sword sliced through thin air. He looked to his right, where Yoruichi was crouched on his sword arm.

"Did you really think you could capture me," she taunted, "with a flash step that predictable?"

She leapt of his arm and landed on the roof of the building on the end of the bridge.

"Three days!" she called out to Byakuya. "In three days I shall make this boy stronger than you. Until then, consider the fight between you two postponed."

"Feel free to give chase if you like, but Yoruichi Shihoin is not about to be caught by the likes of you."

She disappeared again, and Byakuya scowled.

Ukitakeraised his hand over his eyes as he watched Yoruichi speed off. "So you're letting them get away?"

Byakuya sheathed his sword and began to walk away.

"Hey, Byakuya! Where are you going?" Ukitake asked. "I thought you came to capture the ryoka."

"I have lost interest," Byakuya said. "Do whatever you want with them."

Ukitake shook his head at his younger comrade, then called out to the surrounding rooftops.

"Kiyone! Sentaro! Get down here!"

Two more Shinigami appeared in front him, kneeling as they awaited their orders.

"Kiyone, we need to get medical attention for this wounded man," Ukitake said. "I'm afraid he's in bad shape. Have Squad Four send an advance relief squad at once."

"Sentaro, I want you to bring all the ryoka out of the cell and secure Rukia back inside."

"Yes, sir!" both Shinigami said in unison.

Sentaro stepped forward, heading towards the Repentance Cell.

Hanataro ran out and stood in front of the cell with his hands outstretched. "No! I won't let you seal Rukia away in that cell again!"

Sentaro grabbed the front of Hanataro's kimono and lifted him up angrily.

"You think I want to put her back in that damn place!" he screamed. "Orders are orders and that's **THAT!"**

He threw Hanataro aside and stepped into the cell.

"You, ryoka," he said to Orihime and Ganju. "Get out."

Orihime gulped and looked at Ganju, who shook his head and began to leave, stopping to pick up Chad. She followed.

She looked back as Sentaro sealed the cell door again.

"I'm sorry, Rukia," Sentaro said, but Captain Ukitake and I will appeal to the top brass on your behalf. We'll get you out of there soon."

Ukitake walked over to Ganju. "Put him down here," he said.

"Um, yeah," Ganju answered, setting Chad down.

"Squad Four will be here soon," Ukitake said. They'll have your friend good as new in no time."

Orihime came next to Ganju. "Umm…" she started to ask nervously.

"You probably want to know why I'm helping you," Utikake observed.

"Yeah," Ganju said, rubbing the back of his head. "Everyone else here has tried to kill us."

"It's only logical," Ukitake said seriously. "We still don't know who killed Aizen, and you troublemakers are prime suspects and an important source of information. We wouldn't want to kill you until we've investigated. But there's one other reason."

He turned to look at them and his voice softened. "Though your efforts were clumsy, the fact is you and your friends were trying to save one of my officers. Honor would not allow me to stand by idly and watch you die."

'Toshiro was right,' Orihime thought. 'The Shinigami don't all want to kill Rukia. There may be a chance we can get them to change their minds!'

* * *

Yoruichi sat against the wall of her hideout as Toshiro slept off the drugs she had put in his system. It was night before he awoke.

The first thing he did was grunt in pain and reach for the stomach wound Yoruichi had reopened.

"How are you feeling?" Yoruichi asked.

"Terrible," Toshiro replied, struggling to shake off his lethargy. "What did you do to me-"

His eyes shot open as he remembered the moment Yoruichi plunged her hand into his stomach.

"I had the advantage," he said angrily. "And not only did you not help, but you left everyone there to die."

"Advantage?" she scoffed. "You're pretty strong and pretty smart," she admitted, "and you may have deduced what Byakuya's powers are, but you never had a chance in hell of beating him."

Toshiro sat up. The effort caused him a considerable amount of pain. "Explain yourself."

"The first thing you should understand is that your friends are safe. Captain Ukitake was there, and he would never have allowed Byakuya to kill any of them. Rukia is his officer, and he is an honorable man. You were the only one in danger of losing your life since you were the only one who represented a threat. The others were captured, but they're safe."

That did not cheer Toshiro up. "So now instead of rescuing one person, I have to rescue five."

"They are resourceful, and Uryu is still out there. I suggest you let him worry about them. You need to focus on defeating Byakuya."

Toshiro gave her a quizzical look. "I thought you said I didn't have a chance in hell of beating him."

She nodded. "As you are now. But with a few days' training, you just might manage it."

* * *

She led him deeper into the structure, into an enormous cave.

"You know about the release of a Shinigami's sword," she said.

"Yes," Toshiro answered. "It changes shape and becomes much stronger."

"But did you know that your Hyorinmaru can be released to another level?"

Toshiro's mouth opened in shock. He reached bac, drew his sword, and examined it closely.

"No. I didn't know that."

"All Shinigami zanpakuto have another lever of soul release beyond the initial one," Yoruichi explained. "The first level is called shikai. The second level is called Bankai."

"Before any Shinigami can become a captain, he or she must have mastered both of these zanpakuto releases," she continued. "Except for one, every Squad Captain of the Court Guard has had to first master Bankai."

"Zaraki," Toshiro spat.

"Correct. It is a sign of just how highly they regard his power that he was made a captain despite not knowing his sword's name.

"The power difference between Bankai and Shikai varies depending on the fighter's ability and discipline," Yoruichi said, "but it's usually accepted that the Bankai release increases a fighter's power by five to ten times the power of his Shikai release."

"T-ten times?" Toshiro stammered.

Yoruichi crossed her arms. "Now do you understand why you couldn't defeat Byakuya?"

He looked up at her with a steely resolve. "So you want me to train to unlock this Bankai power."

She nodded. "To gain this advantage, it's not uncommon for even a strong fighter to train for over 10 years to achieve."

"I don't have ten years!" Toshiro yelled. "Rukia's going to be executed in less than a week!"

"I know," Yoruichi said. "That's why we are going to use a completely different method."

She held up her hand. "You are going to achieve Bankai in three days."

Yoruichi walked off, leaving Toshiro alone.

"Three days," Toshiro said gravely, "I have to become ten times stronger in just three days."

He held out his sword at the wall of the cave and unleashed a torrent of water and ice from the tip of the blade.

He looked over the pristine blue and white shine of the now iced-over wall. 'I've been terrified of what I can do with my sword's first release. What kind of destruction could I unleash with five to ten times that power?'

Yoruichi returned carrying what appeared to be a wooden cutout of a man similar to a target used in military shooting practice.

"This is tenshintai, a special material specifically designed to draw out the zanpakuto and manifest its true form."

"And this is supposed to help with releasing its true power?" Toshiro asked.

"The manifestation and submission of the zanpakuto is necessary for Bankai," she explained. "In other words, instead of you physically entering the world of the zanpakuto, the zanpakuto must be manifested into our world."

"Normally it takes years to reach this level, but you managed to fight Kenpachi Zaraki to a draw. So it would seem that you have reached manifestation or a comparable level. Already."

Toshiro's brow furrowed in thought. "Hyorinmaru did appear to me during that fight."

Yoruichi smiled. "I thought so. If you stab the tenshintai with Hyorinmaru, it can forcibly manifest the spirit into our world."

"Hmph. I hope Hyorinmaru doesn't mind. Seems a little rude to force him out without asking him," Toshiro observed.

"There is a limitation to this method, however," Yoruichi cautioned. "The zanpakuto spirit can only remain manifested for three days. You will have to defeat the spirit on your own before the time runs out. If you don't -"

"Then everything we've done up till now will have been for nothing," Toshiro said, completing her sentence.

He stepped forward to the tenshintai. "Time to come out, Hyorinmaru."

He plunged his sword into the cutout. There was a burst of winds as the cutout and the sword disappeared.

The temperature in the cave dropped considerably as a gigantic figure appeared from behind Toshiro,.

Yoruichi gasped in shock at the sight.

A great dragon stood behind Toshiro. More than twenty-five feet tall, with a forty foot wingspan, it was bright blue all over except for its glowing, red eyes.

Toshiro turned to face the dragon. "Good to see you, Hyorinmaru."

 **Master.** The dragon said.

Yoruichi looked from the small boy to the enormous beast he commanded. The temperature had dropped so much she could see her breath.

'Damn you and your secrets, Urahara!' she thought. 'You knew what this boy was all along! I would have done everything differently if you had told me!'

 **Is it time to fly?** The dragon asked.

For the first time since Rukia was taken, a childlike grin spread across Toshiro's face.

"To fly, huh? I like the sound of that."


	19. Chapter 19

"Argghh!"

"Hold still," the Squad Four nurse chided Uryu as she applied a substance similar to iodine to a wound on his shoulder.

"I swear, when I get my hands on those ryoka, I'll make them pay," Uryu said with a dramatic flare.

"I'm sure you're very brave," the nurse said in a tone that implies she thought he was foolish.

"You know what really gets me?" Uryu asked rhetorically. "For the life of me I can't figure out what these ryoka are after! There's no logic to their movements!"

"It seems they were after the death row prisoner," the nurse observed.

"The Kuchiki girl?" Uryu asked. "How could you possibly know that?"

"A big group of them was captured by the repentance cell. One of the ryoka was brought here to be healed."

"There's a ryoka here?" Uryu asked in shock, faking a hint of fear.

"Yeah. A big fella, too. In much worse condition than you're in."

Uryu sighed. "Looks like I won't get the chance to pay the ryoka back for what they did to me."

"There's at least one ryoka still out there," the nurse said. "Though I'd recommend staying away from him. He defeated the Eleventh Squad captain."

"He defeated Kenpachi?" Uryu said in what was only slightly faked shock. "I thought he was supposed to be unkillable."

"The ryoka didn't kill him. He just defeated him. Captain Zaraki is currently being treated here."

"A captain and a ryoka being treated in the same place…" Uryu said in contemplation. "Are any other captains being treated here?"

"No. Unless you count captain Aizen's body. But we can't treat dead people."

Uryu attempted to turn his sigh of relief into an expression of anger.

He had gambled a great deal in seeking out the Squad Four hospital to treat the wounds he sustained in his battle with Captain Kurotsuchi. Had the Twelfth Squad Captain sought treatment in the same place his odds of being recognized and captured would have risen significantly. Uryu had believed that Kurotsuchi would not approach Squad Four to avoid the humiliation that his defeat by a lowly ryoka would create if it was widely known, and he was right.

The now-former Quincy also had no choice but to seek medical treatment. Even with his powers intact, he would have been useless with the wounds he had received.

Passing himself off as one of the many Shinigami injured by the ryoka had been even easier than he expected. It also provided him with an opportunity to gather information on both his comrades and their foes.

He knew now that most of their team had been captured and that Chad was badly hurt and was being treated close by. He also knew that Toshiro was still out there, and not only did he survive against Kenpachi Zaraki, but had also defeated the monstrous captain and was still free.

"Was it a ryoka who killed Captain Aizen?" he asked.

"That's the prevailing theory," the nurse answered. "But no one really knows. He was killed with his own zanpakuto, and there wasn't much sign of a fight."

'Strange,' Uryu thought. 'It definitely wasn't any us who killed that captain, but it had to be someone immensely powerful. Why would this happen now? Did someone just have a grudge against this captain and used us as cover, or is there something more behind this?'

He looked at the door to the room he was being treated in. 'Either way, I won't learn anything about that here when even the Shinigami don't know what's going on. I need to find Chad and get him out of here somehow. I won't be able to help anyone else without his strength.'

* * *

Yoruichi paced back and forth across her hideout.

She had wanted to supervise Toshiro's training with Hyorinmaru, but the sword's powers precluded her from doing so. It was simply too dangerous, not to mention too damn cold, for anyone else to be in the cave while Toshiro trained to achieve his Bankai.

Yoruichi finally understood why the boy had seemed so scared of his sword's power when they had first arrived in Soul Society. She herself had only seen one other zanpakuto with such a propensity for collateral damage as Hyorinmaru.

* * *

Toshiro collapsed to his hands and knees.

The dragon stared as the boy as he struggled to push himself up, only to have his arms give out.

Toshiro's eyes were closed as he took slow, pained, labored breaths.

He clearly had a resistance to cold. Otherwise he'd be dead. But he was still covered in bruises from being thrown around all day. His body was pushed far past its limits, and he was mentally pushed even farther than that.

He opened his eyes slightly. Each deep breath he took caused a puff of water vapor to appear into front of his face in the cold. He squinted in concentration.

One puff held in place instead of disappearing into the air. It was joined by another breath, and then another.

Toshiro gritted his teeth as the combined water vapor of many breaths converged on a single spot. The small cloud shrunk and grew denser not losing a single tiny droplet.

Soon, the cloud had condensed into a single small drop of water which hung in the air right in front of his face. The drop expanded slightly as it turned into a snowflake.

Toshrio exhaled as he allowed the snowflake to drift to the ground.

He tilted his head slightly so that he could see Hyorinmaru. The dragon lowered its head in acknowledgement of his efforts.

And then it disappeared, leaving nothing but the tenshintai in its place.

"That's enough for today, I think," he heard Yoruichi say.

He could just make out her footsteps as she drew closer.

Yoruichi scowled as she saw the state Toshiro was in. The boy had not attempted to move or acknowledge her presence.

"Doesn't look like you could take anymore of this anyway."

* * *

Toshiro said nothing as Yoruichi set him down next to a hot spring at the end of the cave.

"Normally I'd have you go in the water, but I don't think going from the extreme cold to something so hot is a good idea," she said.

Yoruichi took a towel and dipped it in the hot spring. After it was entirely immersed she lifted it upand began squeezing the excess water out.

She then leaned over Toshiro and began to dab his forehead with the towel. "Here."

Toshiro almost winced in anticipation of her rubbing his injuries, but a bruise on his forehead faded away al most instantly upon contact with the damp towel.

He looked up at Yoruichi in surprise, and she smiled back. "The water of this spring has special healing properties."

Toshrio grimaced and grunted as he painfully lifted his arm to signal for her to stop. She gave him a quizzical look, but nodded and stepped back.

Toshiro leaned his head back, his brow furrowed in concentration. The water of the spring, which had been completely still expect for the steam rising from it, began to move in small, almost imperceptible waves in his direction. Then the steam itself began to move laterally.

As the moisture from the hot spring moved towards Toshiro it cooled, forming a thin cloud of fog around him. He breathed some of it in as the cloud enveloped him, its healing touch spreading everywhere.

"Amazing," Yoruichi whispered to herself as the last of Toshiro's visible injuries disappeared.

Toshiro took a deep sigh of relief and contentment. "That's better."

Yoruichi sighed herself out of bemusement and sat down next to him.

"This was always going to be a dangerous path, but it seems to be paying off," she said.

"I can sense all water now," Toshiro said, "even the moisture in the air."

Yoruichi looked down at him. He sounded exhausted even after being healed.

"I never thought I'd have to learn so much about weather patterns while training with a giant ice dragon."

"Everyone's Bankai training is different," Yoruichi explained.

"And these moves Hyorinmaru wants to teach me: they require so much emotional control."

"That's been known to be the key to some zanpakutos' powers," she said while rubbing her chin in thought.

Toshiro yawned before responding. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"What is it?"

"You know a lot about shinigami and zanpakutos. So does Urahara. Byakuya recognized you, and another Shinigami I fought freaked out when I mentioned Urahara's name.

"Who are you? I know you both come from here, and Byakuya called you a commander."

Yoruichi nodded. "I was the commander of the stealth force. Urahara … was the captain of Squad Twelve."

"So he was a Shinigami captain."

"And the founder of the research and development division," she added.

"All right. But tell me this. What do the former stealth force commander and a former Shinigami captain care about saving Rukia?"

Yoruichi paused, considering how best to answer. "A hundred years ago, we made a decision similar to the one you made when you came here."

"W-what happened a hun…"

Toshiro's head slumped against Yoruichi's arm as he fell asleep.

She looked down at him with a mixture of amusement and pity.

'So much riding on such small shoulders,' she thought.

* * *

Uryu walked as casually as he could past the room where Chad was being treated.

'Two guards,' noted to himself. 'I could have taken them easily if I still had my powers, but right now I can't take on anyone here.'

Being anonymous had its benefits, but he could not hope to pretend to be a doctor, and the staff treating Chad were sure to be among the higher-level medical staff.

His only option would be to find a way to distract the guards, get into the room, free Chad, and hope that his classmate was healed enough to fight their way out.

He turned the corner and stopped.

'Oh, no.'

Two Shnigami stood in front of him. One was bald, and the other had long, black hair.

"Well look who it is," the Ikkaku Madarame said.

"Yes. Fancy meeting you here," Yumichika Ayasegawa replied. "What should we do with him?" he asked Ikkaku.

"We take him to the captain," Ikkaku answered.

* * *

Kenpachi Zaraki stared at Uryu.

He was surprised to see the Eleventh Squad Captain in the Fourth Division hospital, given the disdain the rank and file of the Eleventh Division showed for the Fourth. Zaraki seemed unhappy, but not about being in the headquarters of Squad Four.

"Why did you bring this weakling here?" he demanded of Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"This is the ally of the one you fought," Ikkaku answered.

"I do think he was there when you you fought Toshi, Kenny," Yachiru said.

"And why would someone as strong as him be friends with someone as weak as you?" Kenpachi asked Uryu.

"If that's your question, then I have to wonder why you're allied with him," Uryu said, pointing at Yumichika. "I defeated that man in combat just a few days ago."

Zaraki looked at Yumichika in disappointment. "Is that so?"

Yumichika glared at Uryu and bite his nails nervously.

"I also defeated Kurotsuchi," Uryu declared.

"Hmmm." Zaraki stared at him.

His lips parted in a smile. "Maybe you're not just a waste of space after all. Toshiro will come for you."

"He will," Uryu agreed, "after he's rescued Rukia Kuchiki."

"Well, then he doesn't have much time," Yachiru said. "The execution has been moved up to noon tomorrow."

Uryu spun around to face her. "Noon tomorrow?!"

She nodded. "Uh huh. They sent word to all the lieutenants. It's the final change."

'I can't sit here,' Uryu thought anxiously. 'I've got to act now.'

He turned back to Zaraki. "You seem to be interested in strong people."

"Of course," Zaraki said. "Why anyone would be interested in weaklings is beyond me."

"Well, I've got a friend here, in this building, who stood up to your reiatsu and defeated dozens of your men with a single punch."

Zaraki's grin widened. "Not bad. Are the others in your group so strong?"

"In their own ways," Uryu answed. He hardened his expression and looked Zaraki directly in the eye.

"And I know where Toshiro will be tomorrow at noon."

* * *

"Wake up."

Toshiro blinked multiple times as he opened his eyes. Yoruichi was standing over him with a stern expression.

"Day two of Bankai training begins now," she said.

Toshiro rubbed his right eye as he rose.

"Where's my sword?"

Yoruichi watched as he manifested Hyorinmaru again.

'I was amazed by what he did yesterday,' she thought. 'But can any child, even one like him, really achieve Bankai?'

'I just can't shake this uneasy feeling. I'm sensing something out there, something ominous approaching this place.'

Just then, the cave was shaken by what sounded like an avalanche.

"I've found you," a voice familiar to Toshiro said.

Renji Abarai dropped down into the cave from a new hole in the ceiling. His sword was drawn and in its released form.

Toshiro took a battle stance, but Renji just looked at the manifested Hyorinmaru.

"Is that the true form of your zanpakuto? That's badass. No wonder you beat me."

"So you're hiding out here and secretly training for Bankai," he observed. "Looks like fun to me. Got room for one more?"

Toshiro relaxed his stance. "You're not here to fight?"

"No. The truth is that we're out of time, and I needed a place where I could train in peace, like you."

"Out of time?" Toshiro asked.

Renji walked up to him. "They changed the time of Rukia's execution. They announced it's going to be at noon tomorrow."

Toshiro and Yoruichi both froze in fright.

"And though I hate to admit it," Renji continued, "I'm not strong enough to save Rukia at my current level. That's why I came here, to train."

He turned away from Toshiro and Yoruichi. "I'm pretty close to the Bankai release myself. I've already mastered manifesting it."

He held out his sword, and a white baboon the size of a man with a snake for a tail appeared in front of him.

"So if you don't mind, I'm just going to do my own thing."

Yoruichi did not react to Renji's manifested sword. She remained focused on what he had said about the time of Rukia's execution.

"Noon tomorrow?" she said to herself. "There's no way. There's just no way anyone could achieve Bankai that quickly.

"If that's so then I'll just do it without Bankai," Toshiro declared. "I didn't come all this way to give up now."

Renji grinned. "That's the spirit."

"Toshiro, no!" Yoruichi yelled.

Toshiro looked at the dragon with an icy glare.

"Hyorinmaru isn't like other zanpakuto," he said. "He wants this more than anything. And if that means training twice as hard as yesterday, well then that's just what we're gonna do."


	20. Chapter 20

Ganju and Orihime were given separate cells in the prison. As a result they were unable to communicate with each other beyond the occasional shout.

The clamps on their forearms sealed their reiatsu and prevented them from using their powers, so any plan they could have come up with would have been useless, but Ganju would have liked to have someone to talk to who was not a Shinigami guard.

Orihime had things a little easier in that regard. She struck up conversations with the guards whenever she could, sometimes to ask about what was going on outside, other times just to find out more about the Shinigami who guarded and maintained their prison. She quickly became a favorite of the guards and other staff and received preferential treatment and extra food.

No new prisoners had been brought in since their capture, which was both good news and bad news. On the one hand, it meant that Uryu and Toshiro had not been captured. On the other hand, it meant that Chad's injuries were especially severe since he had not been brought to the prison.

Orihime was unable to sleep from worry. She paced back and forth across her cell.

At dawn, the guards changed their shift.

Orihime clutched the bars tightly as the new guards came in.

"What's going on?" she asked excitedly. "Is Chad ok? What about Hanataro? Has anyone else been captured?"

"Slow down lady," one of the guards said. "Most of that stuff is above our paygrade."

"Only new thing since yesterday is that they moved up the Kuchiki execution to today," the other guard said.

"Today?" Orihime asked in horror.

The first guard walked over to Ganju's cell and banged on the bars.

"Hey! Get up you lazy bum!"

Not for the first time, Ganju wished his hands were free so he could cover his ears.

"What are you, deaf? I said get up!"

Ganju groaned. "I heard you. I heard you."

'What's the point of waking us up?' he wondered as he sat up. 'Stuck in these cells it's not like there's anything we can do.

The guard, satisfied that Ganju was up, turned to his partner. "I kind of wish I could be there for the execution. All the captains are supposed to be there, and they'll be releasing the sokyoku!"

"Forget about it," the other guard said. "We'll be lucky if …"

The guard's voice trailed off as they began to hear a rumbling noise from outside. The gurads looked at each other in confusion.

The rumbling got louder and they began to hear screams of terror from outside as well.

"What is that?"

"Better go check."

"But what about the prisoners?"

"They're not going anywhere. Come on."

The guards ran out of the room, leaving Ganju and Orihime alone.

Ganju stood up in response to the increasingly loud noises. "Whatever it is, it's getting closer."

Orihime looked at the small, barred window in the back of her cell. 'Is someone coming for us? Who could it be? Both Toshiro and Uryu are too smart to make so much noise like this.'

A crack appeared in the ceiling in the center of the room. Less than a second later the roof collapsed, spraying smoke and debris in all directions.

"Ahhh!" Ganju screamed. "We're all gonna die!"

Orihime stayed calm. Staring intently at the figures which were stepping out of the smoke.

"It can't be…" she whispered as the profile of Kenpachi Zaraki appeared before her.

Ganju continued to scream as he saw all of the Squad Eleven officers who had joined Zaraki.

Orihime gulped as she and Zaraki stared at each other for several seconds.

Finally Zaraki smiled. "Do it," he said.

Ikkaku Madarame stepped forward, drawing his blade. Orihime stepped back as he slashed through the bars of her cell.

"Orihime Inoue," Ikkaku said while standing with his sword outstretched in a pose that was almost a bow, "you are being rescued."

Yumichika smiled. "An aesthetic rescue for a beautiful damsel, Ikkaku.:

"Rescued?" Orihime asked in confusion. She looked back at Zaraki, and her eyes began to fill with tears at the sight of those standing at his sides.

"Chad! Uryu!"

She nearly knocked Uryu over while hugging them, but Chad kept the three friends upright.

"You're ok!" she said happily.

Chad and Uryu both nodded.

"I'm afraid we don't have much time," Uryu said. "We have to move quickly if we're going to save Rukia."

Zaraki huffed. "Fine by me."

"Wait!" Ganju yelled.

Zaraki and his subordinates turned to look at Ganju, who remained trapped behind the bars of his cell. They did not look happy to see him.

"Um, aren't you going to let me out too?" Ganju asked meekly.

"And why would we help a weakling like you?" Zaraki asked.

"Not to mention someone so ugly?" Yumichika added.

"Hey!" Ganju yelled frantically. "I'm with these guys! You can't just leave me behind!"

Uryu pushed his glasses up. "We seem to have forgotton about Ganju."

Chad stepped forward and walked over to Ganju's cell. He grabbed two of the bars with his bare hands and pulled them apart.

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou" Ganju said as he took his first step out of his cell.

Zaraki spat in disgust.

* * *

"It is time."

Rukia closed her eyes and sighed.

'Today I die.'

She made no move to resist as her hands and neck were bound.

The faces of then men who were to escort her to her execution were veiled, and what little of their eyes she could see displayed no emotion.

As ukia stepped out of the repentance cell she was struck by the feeling of two enormous reiatsus. Even her captors stopped to look in the direction of the battle that must have been taking place at that moment.

'That's Byakuya,' she realized. 'But who is he fighting? I don't recognize him. It can't be Toshiro or any of his friends.'

Her brother's power flared higher than she had ever felt it go before, and his opponent suddenly weakened.

"Renji!"

Rukia cried out in horror as she finally recognized the other power.

"Why? Why were you fighting Byakuya?' Why did you do it?"

Another massive reiatsu appeared, this time much closer to her.

Rukia turned to see Captain Gin Ichimaru walking across the bridge. Cold sweat bathed her face as she observed the malicious grin on his face.

"Good morning. How are you today, Rukia dear," he asked in that creepy way of his.

"Gin Ichimaru," Rukia said under her breath.

"How rude," Gin said. "You know, you must always address me as _Captain_ Ichimaru."

"I apologize," she replied in a defensive tone.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

"Well, I suppose there's no particular reason," he said nonchalantly, "just to tease you a little bit.

Rukia gritted her teeth in disgust. She'd hated Gin since before she had even joined the 13 Courth Guard Sqauds.

"By the way, Rukia," Gin said, "it seems he isn't actually dead yet. Renji, that is."

That caught Rukia off guard.

'It's true,' she thought. 'If I really concentrate I can still feel his reiatsu. But it's so weak!'

"But he will die soon," Gin said, the grin still plastered on hid face. "It's kind of pathetic. He loses to a child, then tried to save your life and ends up cut to pieces."

"Don't you dare talk about him that way!" Rukia yelled at him.

"So pointless, really," he said, shaking his head. "So many people are going to die just for trying to save you. "Your friends who got captured will be executed Renji will be dead in minutes. And the little one will be killed sooner or later."

Rukia glared at him, but she struggled to keep herself from shaking in fear.

"Knowing that this is all because they are trying to save you must make this all the more painful." He looked her in the eye. "Do you want me to save you?"

This finally got a reaction out of Rukia's captors, who took a step back in reflexive shock and whose eyes widened behind their veils.

Gin walked up to her. "I could rescue you from this execution right now and save your life, Renji's and … oh, what was his name? Toshiro?"

'Is he serious?' Rukia wondered. What could he have to gain by saving me?'

"Do you think I'm kidding?" he asked, putting his hand on her head. He bent down so that his face was inches from hers.

His grin widened even further. "I am."

Rukia felt as if her heart had stopped as he turned away. "I'm sure your brother will have something quite painful in store for that child after all the trouble he's caused."

'How could I let him do that to me? After I had accepted my fate, he was able to shake my resolve, to make me want to live again!'

She screamed in agony as she was once again escorted to her execution.

* * *

Rukia was place in front of the sokyoku stand, facing the giant spear which would soon end her life. She made no attempt to resist or flee.

It was not like she could get very far with so many captains and lieutenants there.

Captains Kyoraku and Unohana were there with their lieutenants. Both captains bore an expression of resigned sadness.

Captain Soi Fon scowled at Rukia, no doubt believing fully that her execution was entirely just.

The Head Captain had come to personally oversee the execution. His expression was stern, but without the anger of Soi Fon.

Rukia's brother, Byakuya, was the final captain present. His expression was completely blank, as if he could not care one way or another about his sister's fate.

He was also the only captain to not bring his lieutenant, Rukia realized. She remembered what Gin Ichimaru had told her about Renji and struggled to prevent tears from gilling her eyes.

"Ruckia Kuchiki," the Head Captain said, "it is time. Do you have any last requests before your execution?"

"Yes," Rukia said. "I have one."

She took a deep breath so that she could speak with confidence. "The ryoka. They are only here to rescue me. Once this sentence is carried out, they will have reason to remain and will not be of any threat. I ask that you allow them to return to the world of the living unharmed."

The Head Captain looked down as he considered the request. "Hmmmm…."

After what seemed like an eternity, he looked back at her. "Very well. Your request is granted. The ryoka will be allowed to return to their homes once your execution is complete."

Rukia now allowed herself to cry, this time in relief rather than sadness. "Thank you so much, head captain," she said with a genuine smile.

"Release the sokyoku seal!" the Head Captain ordered.

As the binds on the spear disappeared, Rukia's own bonds dissolved as well. In their place, three stone cubes appeared before her, magically binding her hands and feet to match their movements.

She rose into the air with the stones until she was level with the stand's middle beam.

As she reached the top, the sokyoku flared with a bright orange flame that was larger and brighter than any fire she had ever seen.

The spear rose and pointed itself at Rukia. As she watched in fear, the fire coalesced into a solid shape, that of a gigantic bird of fire.

"The sentenced will now be carried out!" the Head Captain declared.

The fear gradually left Rukia's eyes. 'I am not afraid,' she thought to herself. 'I have lived a good life.'

'I was blessed to be able to meet Renji and all the others, by my adoption by Byakuya, by Kaien's guidance, and then by meeting Toshiro and his friends.'

'This is not suffering. This is not pain. I have no regrets, because my heart leaves nothing behind' she thought.

The sokyoku let out a loud, birdlike screech, and the bird of fire began to accelerate towards her. She closed her eyes in acceptance.

Several of the captains and lieutenants looked away.

A loud, sudden roar caused them to look up again.

The sokyoku had not reached Rukia.

Lying in its path was the head of a large dragon of flowing blue ice and water. The dragon's body wrapped itself around the stand many times, and its head was pushing back against the head of the sokyoku.

"What …. What's going on?" Rukia asked in fear.

On the ground, the gathered captains and lieutenants were just as dumbfounded.

"It stopped the spear!" Soi Fon yelled in shock. "But the sokyoku has the power of a million zanpakutos!"

Rukia turned her head to and fro, frantically attempting to find the source of the mysterious dragon, but its body had wrapped itself around the stand so many times she could not see where it ended.

"Nanao," Kyoraku asked his lieutenant, "isn't that – "

"Yes," she confirmed. "It matches the description of the zanpakuto power the ryoka used to defeat Zaraki."

Kyoraku lowered his hat. "So the ryoka were the ones to save the day after all."

The sokyoku pulled back and screeched. The dragon roared in response.

As the two giant monsters accelerated towards each other again, a rope rose up from the ground and wrapped itself around the sokyoku's neck. The rope then continued on and embedded itself in the ground, holding the sokyoku in place.

The Shinigami assembled turned to see Captain Jushiro Ukitake and his subordinates approach carrying a large seal.

"About time you showed up," Kyoraku said, leaping to join Ukitake by the seal.

Ukitake's response was cut off as the dragon collided with the sokyoku. The giant bird was unable to defend itself while tied down and was frozen solid by the dragon's attack.

With the attack, the dragon disappeared. For several seconds the sokyoku hung alone in the air, a magnificent ice sculpture of a giant bird of prey. Then the sculpture shattered, breaking into thousands of tiny particles of water, ice, snow and mist which rained down upon the Shinigami.

The lieutenants shielded their faces from the spray of the sokyoku's destruction. Even Kyoraku and Ukitake, who had intended to destroy the sokyoku themselves, could not believe their eyes.

They had little time to compose themselves before another startling event began to occur.

Rukia's eyes grew even wider as ice began to cover the stone cubes which bound her to the stand. Soon the ice began to spread across the stand itself.

"This can't be happening," she whispered in fear.

In a matter of seconds, the entire stand was completely enveloped in a thick layer of ice.

Immediately afterwards, the ice shattered.

Rukia screamed in terror as the stand crumpled, causing her to fall.

This time, even the captains covered their eyes to shield themselves from the smoke and falling debris caused by the stand's collapse.

When they opened their eyes, there was nothing but broken pieces of wood and ice where the massive structure had stood seconds before.

"The stand is completely destroyed!" Soi Fon's lieutenant Omaeda yelled. "There's nothing left!"

Soi Fon scanned the debris for any sign of Rukia, who could not have possibly survived the collapse. "Where's her damn body?"

She noticed Byakuya turning around to look behind them. Slowly, she followed suit. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

A small figure stood about 25 meters behind them. He wore a large brown cape over Shinigami robes. His hair was spiky and completely white. With one hand he sheathed a long sword on his back. And in his other hand, he held Rukia close to him.

Rukia looked down in shock and wonder at the small figure next to her.

"Toshiro!"


	21. Chapter 21

The shinigami captains and lieutenants gaped at the small newcomer who held Rukia by his side.

"Toshiro!" Rukia said.

"Hi," Toshiro responded.

"Th-that was you?"

Toshiro smiled. "Sorry it took so long to get here. Never meant to cut it that close."

The captains continued to stare at Toshiro. "That little runt did all that?" Omaeda asked in disbelief.

Rukia steadied herself on her feet and glared at Toshiro. "I didn't ask you to rescue me."

"Well, I just did."

"Don't expect me to say thank you, cause I won't!"

Toshiro smiled. "That's ok. I didn't expect you to."

"So, what's the next step of your 'great' plan?" Rukia asked sarcastically. "Those are captains! We'll never get away!"

"We won't have to," Toshiro responded. "Looks like the captains aren't all on the same page regarding your execution. And besides … "

Toshiro tilted his head to motion behind them. "… I'm not the one you'll be getting away with."

Rukia looked, and her heart leapt as she saw a man with long, red hair fighting off the guards who would otherwise have been attacking them at that moment.

"Renji!" she shouted in joy. "You're alive!"

Renji finished off the last guard and approached them.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see you," Toshiro said.

"Likewise." Renji smiled. "Besides, I couldn't just rely on you to save Rukia, could I?"

Toshiro turned back to the captains and lieutenants in front of them. "Take her and go. Get as far away from here as you can."

Renji took Rukia in his arms. "I'll protect her with my life."

"I'll hold you to that," Toshiro said. "Now get out of here."

"Right." Renji began to run off, carrying Rukia with him.

As he ran off, one of the captains finally responded.

"Don't just stand there!" Soi Fon screamed at Omaeda. "All lieutenants, after them!"

Lieutenants Omaeda, Sasakibe, and Kotetsu drew their weapons and ran towards Toshiro.

Toshiro eyed them carefully as they approached and flexed his sword hand. To his surprise, the three lieutenants did not stop to fight him, but ran past him to chase after Renji and Rukia.

Toshiro rolled his eyes. He disappeared and then reappeared in front of the lieutenants.

This time, the lieutenants stopped for him.

"Get out of the way!" Omaeda yelled.

Toshiro held out his hand and gestured for Omaeda to come at him.

"Why you – "Omaeda said angrily.

Isane raised her blade. "Run, Itegumo!"

Sasakibe followed suit and also released his shikai. "Bite, Gonryomaru!"

They expected Toshiro to draw his sword in response to their releasing their swords, but he continued to stand there as if they were just putting on a show.

Omaeda had had enough. "Crush them, Gegetsubori!"

Unlike Isane and Sasakibe's zanpakutos, which changed seemingly very little when they were released, Omaeda's sword turned into a large spiked ball attached to a chain.

Omaeda attacked first, swinging the ball and chain at Toshiro, who stepped to the side to avoid the attack.

Toshrio reached out and grabbed the chain, yanking it from Omaedas grasp. He lifted it above his head and spun the spiked ball around, to the amazement of the lieutenants.

He threw the ball back at Omaeda. It struck the fat Shinigami in the stomach, knocking him out immediately.

Sasakibe attacked next, attempting to catch Toshiro off guard by striking from behind. Toshiro moved his head slightly to the side as the blade slipped past his ear and raised his arm up and back, striking Sasakibe in the midsection with the back of his elbow.

'It's not possible!" Isane thought as she watched her fellow lieutenants go down after just one blow. 'He's not even using his zanpakuto!'

Toshiro leapt at her, bringing his fist to bear on her face. She thought he was going to punch her, but at the last instant he stopped his fist and brought his middle finger and thumb together. Toshiro flicked his finger, knocking her out as well.

The lieutenants dealt with, Toshiro finally reached back and drew his sword. He spun around, blocking an attempt to decapitate him from Byakuya. The unconscious bodies of the lieutenants had not even hit the ground when their blades collided.

The two combatants glared at each other over their crossed blades.

* * *

"Renji, stop!" Rukia demanded as they continued to run. "We've got to go back and help Toshiro!"

"What part of running for our lives do you not understand?" Renji asked in exasperation.

His face and voice grew serious. "We've got to trust him."

"What?' Rukia asked.

"That boy … He's a prodigy. No. More than that. His zanpakuto is … different. You saw what it did to the sokyoku."

"I …"

"The best help we can be," Renji said gravely, "is to be as far away from that fight as possible."

* * *

Byakuya and Toshiro continued to hold their blades in place against each other.

"Why?" Byakuya asked.

"Hmm?" Toshiro responded.

"Why do you continue in this fruitless quest to save Rukia?"

Toshiro's eyes glowed blue in anger. A gale-force wind blew from behind him, forcing Byakuya back many paces.

Byakuya steadied himself when the wind subsided and looked at Toshiro, who continued to glare at him.

"How can you, her own brother, ask me something like that?"

"You risk your life again and again to save someone who will certainly die no matter what you do," Byakuya elaborated. "Why do you do this?"

"If I didn't do the right thing even when it was inconvenient," Toshiro explained, "I'd be betraying everything Rukia taught me."

"The right thing?" Byakuya scoffed. "You are a child. Are you so naïve as to believe you know right and wrong better than the rest of the world?"

"I know killing Rukia is wrong. I know executing someone for saving innocent lives is wrong."

"Hmph. Our laws are clearly beyond your comprehension, boy."

"That may be," Toshiro admitted. "I can't comprehend a system of laws that tells people to save laws and executes them for doing so. I can't comprehend a system of laws that has no concept of extenuating circumstances."

"I was beginning to think this Soul Society was rotten to the core," Toshiro continued. "Maybe Rukia was the only good person here."

"But then Hanataro joined us in trying to save her. And then Renji did as well. And now I saw two captains triying to stop the execution.

"They all know this is wrong!" Toshiro yelled. He pointed his blade at Byakuya. "It only seems to be you who sticks to this obsession with killing your own sister."

Byakuya scoffed. "A childish interpretation of what has transpired. Our laws are sacred, and the noble houses have a duty to uphold them. For if we do not, who will?"

Toshiro sighed. "I hoped I could reason with you, but it seems the only path forward is violence."

Byakuya took note of the stance Toshiro adopted. He noted the cold fury of the boy's eyes which stared into his own.

'He is not the same person he was that night in the world of the living,' Byakuya realized. 'That child could not even look Renji in the eye. He could not bring himself to kill under any circumstances. The person who stands before me now will kill me without hesitation if I allow him to.'

"That is the one thing we can agree on," Byakuya said. "I must kill you. Then I kill capture Rukia again, and this time I will execute her myself."

He raised his sword to his face.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The blade of the sword disappeared as it divided into a thousand tiny blades. The swarm of blades moved faster than a human eye could see, but to Toshiro they seemed to move as slowly as cherry blossoms blowing in the wind.

As the blades approached, Toshiro scowled and swung his blade in a horizontal arc. A torrent of ice and water shot out of the tip of his blade, covering the thousand cherry blossoms.

The ice formed a wall between the combatants as it froze with Byakuya's shikai embedded in it.

Byakuya braced himself for Toshiro's attack now that he held nothing but a useless hilt in his hand, but Toshiro merely raised a finger.

"Hado number thirty one: Shakaho!"

A ball of red fire appeared at Toshiro's fingertip. He launched the fireball at the ice wall, causing it to explode.

Byakuya shielded his face from the steam and debris. When the explosion had subsided he saw that Toshiro had not moved.

"Why would you give up your advantage like that?" Byakuya demanded.

"Advantage?" Toshiro asked. "Are you so slow that you couldn't defend yourself in the time it would take me to go around or through that wall?"

"The last time we met I had one advantage, the fact that you didn't know what my zanpakuto's ability was. I had to give that advantage up to save Rukia. Of course, at the time I still didn't know about the true power of the captains.

"… Bankai," Byakuya said, completing the thought. "You want me to release my zanpakuto's second form."

"We won't get anywhere as long as we're both holding back," Toshiro explained. "If this feud is ever going to be resolved, we both have to use our true power."

Byakuya raised his sword, which had reformed after being freed from the ice.

"Very well."

He held the sword upside-down before – to Toshiro's shock – letting it go.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The sword disappeared into the ground at Byakuya's feet. Behind him appeared rows of blades, each twice as large as a man. Those blades then dissolved into a swirling mass of countless cherry blossoms.

Toshiro lowered his head slightly and chuckled.

"What are you smiling about?" Byakuya asked.

"Yoruichi was right. If I had continued to fight you on the bridge you'd have killed me for sure."

"You're impending death amuses you?"

Toshiro raised his head to look directly at Byakuya. He seemed almost giddy with anticipation.

"There's something you should know about me, Byakuya. I don't like being this powerful. It's a burden to have to be careful not to hurt those around me. And I absolutely hate fighting. Chopping people up, getting chopped up, that's not my idea of a good time.

Toshiro raised his sword to the side, his arm shaking in anticipation. "But this power I'm about to use, I'm actually really excited to test it out outdoors."

"And what power is that?" Byakuya asked.

Toshiro answered softly. "The only power that can counter a captain's Bankai."

The air around Toshiro began to glow as he gathered power.

* * *

Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Ganju stopped running as they felt an enormous force suddenly emanate from their destination.

Dark clouds were gathering over Sokyoku Hill, accompanied by streaks of lightning and bursts of _thunder._

"I guess we know where Toshiro is," Ganju said in a matter of fact manner. "That's the same thing we saw when he fought Zaraki."

"No," Uryu said gravely.

The others turned to him.

"This storm is much more intense than the last one. We're farther away, but this time I can feel a change in the atmospheric pressure.

"It's safe to say that the fight has started, and that he's fighting Byakuya Kuchiki."

* * *

Byakuya looked up at the stormy sky in trepidation and confusion.

'A Bankai? That's impossible,' he thought. 'It's a level only the most elite Shinigami are able to obtain. Even among the four great noble families who are blessed with greater reiatsu than others, only one child in several generations has the ability to reach that level, and even then only after many years of intense training. Those who have mastered Bankai have had their names etched into the history of the Soul Society. _That_ is the Banakai.'

'So why him? He became a Shinigami just by absorbing Rukia's power. He's nothing more than a child, a human child. So how can he reach Bankai so easily, as if it were second nature to him? And how can he release such reiatsu?

'It's as if he's-'

Byakuya's thought was cut off as Toshiroraised his sword above his head and yelled.

"Bankai!"

Byakuya shielded his face again as numerous bolts of lightning struck the ground around Toshiro, enveloping him in smoke.

The dark clouds above them coalesced into a funnel around Toshiro. The funnel began to lower. When it reached the ground, a great wind burst forth, blowing away all the smoke that had obscured Toshiro from Byakuya's eyes.

Byakuya lowered his hand and observed the sight before him.

The ground around Toshiro was covered in a think layer of ice

The boy himself was adorned with ice, which flowed from his right arm to encompass much of his body. His right hand bore the form of a dragon's head which covered the hilt of his sword. The back of his left arm was covered in ice ending in a dragon's claw. His feet were similarly adorned with ice talons.

But it was the enormous wings which sprouted from his back and shoulders which were the most striking features of his transformation. Each wing was longer than Toshiro was tall, and he had an even longer tail.

Byakuya stared in wonder.

'A winged Bankai? Could it be –'

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru," Toshiro declared when the transformation was complete.

Regaining his composure, Byakuya sneered at the display. "That's it? That is not a Bankai. All you have done is cover yourself in ice."

Toshiro pointed his sword at Byakuya, who observed that its guard had gone from having four points to eight. "Care to test that theory?"

Byakuya willed his millions of cherry blossoms into action, bearing them down on the boy.

Toshiro leapt into the air to avoid the attack. He stopped fifteen meters in the air and dive-bombed Byakuya, who brought his flower pedal projectiles together to form a shield.

Byakuya expected Toshiro to crash head-first into his shield, but at the last moment the boy pulled up and soared back into the air.

'it's not possible,' Byakuya thought. Shinigami could not use spirit particles walk on air within the Seretei, keeping them on the ground. And yet somehow Toshiro was _flying._

High in the air, Toshiro could not help but laugh for joy as he soared through the sky. Despite the life and death situation he found himself in, he was still a child, and learning to fly was a dream come true.

Byakuya sent his Bankai after Toshiro again and again, but each time the boy maneuvered out of harm's way with a roll, a banked turn, a spin, or a dive.

'Senbonzakura can't keep up,' Byakuya realized. Toshiro's newfound ability to fly allowed him to dodge in any direction.

Byakuya gritted his teeth and raised his arm. A new wave of tiny blades launched themselves at Toshiro, who had to come to a sudden and complete stop in midair to avoid the attack.

Toshiro barely avoided another attack from the side.

'His attacks just got so much faster!' he thought.

"By controlling Senbonzakura with my hands, its speed doubles," Byakuya said.

Toshiro continued to dodge, but he was now forced to move in a particular direction each time. Streams of the tiny blades flew over his head, forming a net.

Toshiro looked up at the net in panic as it closed in on him from all directions.

"Got you!" Byakuya yelled. He brought his palm down, bringing the full weight of his Bankai onto Toshiro.

The boy disappeared under the cloud of pink blades.

"A pity," Byakuya said as he continued the assault. "You showed enormous potential. But this was the only way this could end. Do not worry. I will not let Rukia see your bloodied corpse, whatever remains of it. That will be my final kindness to her before she dies."

Resting his hands at his sides, Byakuya finally ended his attack. As the flower pedals dissipated, he expected to see pieces of a body begin to fall from the sky.

"What the?"

But instead is saw a ball of ice floating in the same location Toshiro had been.

The front of the ball opened, revealing Toshiro inside, completely unharmed.

'He used his wings as a shield, and Senbonzakura's full might didn't leave even a scratch!" Byakuya thought.

Toshiro breathed a large sigh of relief. He looked down at Byakuya, his expression turning serious again.

"My turn."

Toshiro pointed his sword at Byakuya, and an enormous dragon flowed from the tip of the blade. This dragon was larger than the one that had held off the Sokyoku, and it had wings.

The ice dragon unleashed a loud roar as it bared down at Byakuya, who summoned his Bankai to shield himself.

The dragon collided with the wall of flower petal blades with such force that Byakua was forced to shield his eyes from the wind and steam that resulted from the collision.

Byakuya's shield held, but there was now so much steam in the air that he could not see more than a few feet in front of him. A lump formed in his throat as he sensed the boy appear directly behind him.

"Hyoryo Senbi."

Byakuya leapt away as a large crescent of spiky ice formed where he had just been standing. One spike pierced his hand as he leapt.

Ignoring the pain, Byakuya did not look at his hand as he landed, despite the pain he felt and the sound of the blood dripping onto the ground. Instead he glared at Toshiro, beginning to understand.

"I see. Your Bankai is indeed impressive. In fact, your blade may be the most powerful ice-type Zanpakuto in the Soul Society."

"Very well then. There's nothing left more me to do, BUT TO COMPLETELY CRUSH THAT POWER!" he yelled.

Toshiro assumed a battle stance as Byakuya began raising his reiatsu.

"Watch carefully, Toshiro Hitsugaya," Byakuya instructed as the battlefield became surrounded by pillars of pink flames. "What you see is what happens when I abandon all defense, and risk everything to kill my enemy."

Toshiro held his blade in front of his face. The flames generated an incredible amount of heat, causing him to sweat.

'So the real battle begins now,' he thought.

Toshiro took in a deep breath and exhaled, cooling himself. He saw his breath, and a small amount of steam rose from the blade of his zanpakuto.

The flames finally dissipated, leaving the combatants surrounded by a round wall of a thousand swords.

"This is the true form of Senbonzakura. Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

"Don't worry," Byakuya said, noting Toshiro's nervous expression. He stepped forward. "This is just your funeral procession. The thousand swords surrounding you will not attack you at once. So relax. This senkei is the form I show to only those special few enemies – "

He held out his bloodied hand and summoned one of the thousand swords into his grip.

" – who are truly deserving of my vow to kill them with my own hands. You are only the second to ever see it."

Toshiro said nothing. He merely glared at Byakuya.

"No final words?" Byakuya asked. "So be it."

Byakuya flashed stepped in front of Toshiro and swung his blade in a horizontal slash. The sword cut clean through Toshiro at the chest.

"What?"

Byakuya stepped back as the top part of Toshiro's body fell to the ground.

'That was too easy. He didn't make a move to defend himself.'

"Impressive. I'm glad I took that precaution."

Byakuya's eyes widened in shock as Toshiro appeared behind his now-headless body.

"What trickery is this?"

Toshiro tapped the top the fake body with his blade, causing it to shatter into tiny pieces of ice.

"An ice illusion," Byakuya observed.

"A special ice that can bend light to produce any image inside," Toshiro explained. "It can only fool an enemy once, but I think it served its purpose."

"Now that I've seen the destructive power of your senkei, I can't allow you to use it to hurt anyone else," Toshiro said.

He pointed his blade at Byakuya. "Earlier you asked me why I would destroy my own ice wall. While everything I told you was true, there was another reason."

"And what was that?" Byakuya asked.

"Ever since I got here, I've been increasing the water vapor in the air in preparation for this technique."

He turned his sword ninety degrees counter-clockwise.

"Senen Hyoro."

* * *

Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Ganju had finally made it to the top of the Sokyoku Hill.

"We finally made it," Ganju said, breathing heavily. "But those powers, are we sure one of them is Toshiro?"

"I'm sure of it," Orihime said. "It may be much stronger now, but there's no mistaking Toshiro's spirit energy."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ganju asked.

"Toshiro's spirit has always felt cold, almost like his heart was made of ice." Orihime raised her hand to her chest. "I think that's why I, why everyone at school, has always been so afraid of him. Even before I learned to sense spirit energy, I could still feel that somehow."

"But something changed when he met Rukia," she continued. "She brought something out of him that was still cold, but more like an ice sculpture, or a snowman."

Uryu sighed in exasperation. "Those are two very different metaphors."

A great number of pillars of ice appeared far in front of them. The pillars circled the battlefield for several moments before coming together with a booming thud.

"What the heck is that?" Ganju asked.

"A barrier. Toshiro must have sensed us coming. He put it up to protect us," Uryu said.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Uryu answered.

"You don't suppose Rukia's in there?" Orihime asked.

"No," Chad said. "It's strange. I've been trying to sense her since we reached the top, but I can't feel anything. Even with how overwhelming Toshiro and Byakuya's powers are, I'd be able to tell if Rukia was close."

"So she might be already dead," Ganju observed.

"No, she's alive," Uryu said. "If Toshiro was fighting to avenge her, he wouldn't have the presence of mind to sense us coming and take action to protect us. In fact, I doubt we'd survive being this close to the battle."

"So he already saved her?" Ganju asked. "Then why is he fighting at all?"

"To give her the chance to get away," Uryu answered, "and to prove one last point so we can all go home."

* * *

Byakuya and Toshiro stood in total darkness.

No light could enter the ice prison. But they could still sense each other.

"You could have trapped me alone in this icy tomb," Byakuya said. "Why would you imprison us both in here?"

"I needed to ensure that your senkei didn't harm any of my friends," Toshiro answered.

Byakuya felt the nearest edge of the ice wall.

'My thousand blades are stuck in the ice!'

Byakuya swung the one blade he had at the wall. He succeed in making a small crack, but it was nowhere near enough to break through the wall.

'This ice is at least as strong as his wings, maybe even stronger,' Byakuya realized, 'and it's many meters thick. I could probably break through if given enough time, but for now I'm trapped in here with him.'

He turned back to Toshiro. 'At least now I know this prison has the same dimensions as my senkei, so I know how much freedom of movement I have.'

Toshiro was also lost in thought, though not about the battle.

'That's all of them,' he thought. Orihime and Ganju are all right. Chad's seems to be back to full strength. That's good. But what's wrong with Uryu?'

He heard footsteps as Byakuya began to walk toward him to resume their fight. Neither fighter could see the other, so they were force to rely on their sense of sound and the feel of each other's reiatsu.

Byakuya flashed-stepped in front of Toshiro, bringing his blade down in a powerful blow which the boy barely blocked. The impact caused him to stagger back.

Toshiro had no time to recover as Byakuya struck again, swinging his sword with a speed and ferocity born of desperation. Each time their blades collided they created a shower of sparks that allowed the fighters to see each other for a brief moment.

In an attempt to buy himself some space, Toshiro lowered his left wing to block an attack from that side, but Byakuya's blade sliced off the tip of the wing and scored a direct hit on Toshiro's shoulder.

Toshiro managed to push Byakuya away with what remained of his wing, but he could feel that the damage was severe.

'Nothing to worry about,' he told himself. 'I went much longer without getting cut this time than I did in many of my battles with Ikkaku, Renji, or Kenpachi.'

But something was very wrong. His breath was becoming increasingly heavy, and he was seeing spots in front of his eyes despite there not being a source of light.

'It shouldn't be getting hard to breathe,' he wondered. 'There should be enough air in here for a few hours at worst.'

His chest hurt, and he began to cough. He collapsed to one knee and coughed up blood.

"That's it, then," Byakuya said. "You're dying."

Toshiro looked at him in confusion.

Byakuya's tone softened, as if he was regretful at the turn of events. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. You have defeated many high-level Shinigami and gone far beyond what anyone thought you were capable of. You have even survived slashes from the Senbonzakura."

Toshiro heard cracks forming in his wings, and knew that they were beginning to break apart.

"But in the end, you were not ready for Bankai," Byakuya said. "You could only sustain it for a short time before your body began to be overwhelmed by its power. You are only a human, after all, and a child at that. No matter how strong your spirit, your body has limits, and you have reached them."

He raised his sword above Toshiro's head. "This is the end, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Toshiro closed his eyes in fear despite not being able to see Byakuya prepare the killing blow.

'No. if I die here, then he'll kill everyone else. And Rukia. He'll find her and Renji and kill them both. All my friends will die because of me!'

Byakuya brought his sword down.

There was a clink as it stuck ice.

"What?"

Byakuya could not see what had happened, but he knew that he had failed to kill the boy.

He stepped back, and another voice spoke out, a distorted voice he had never heard before.

" _Toshiro, you're such an idiot. You didn't notice that your organs were being crushed by your own rising reiatsu?"_

Whatever was speaking pointed Toshiro's sword at Byakuya.

" _Let me show you how to use this Bankai effectively."_

A blot of lightning shot out of the tip of the blade. Byakuya saw a brief flash of something horrifying before the attack struck him.

There was no chance to dodge, not even to react. It all happened too fast. In an instant he was burned all over his body.

Byakuya collapsed to one knee himself.

'Lightning. I should have expected it from a zanpakuto that seems to control the weather,' he thought.

He expected the creature to attack again, but instead it screamed.

" _No! What are you doing? You'll win if you just leave it to me!"_

There was a sound of ceramic shattering as the creature let out one final shriek of agony, and then silence.

Byakuya stared into the darkness for what seemed like an eternity before he began to hear the boy's breath again. He was clearly shaking from whatever he had just experienced.

But then, so was Byakuya.

"I'm gonna need a shrink when I get back home," Toshiro said, finally breaking the silence.

Byakuya rose. "I will not ask you what that was. I do not believe either of us has the strength left to continue this fight for much longer."

"We'll finish this with one final attack," he declared.

"One attack?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes. One attack to decide once and for all who is the victor in this battle between us."

Byakuya held his blade in front of him.

"Shukei, Hakuteiken."

Byakuya's sword began to glow white, illuminating the icy prison and allowing the combatants to see each other clearly for the first time since Toshiro had created it.

The glow spread behind Byakuya, almost taking the form of a bird.

Toshiro took the opportunity to look at each of his wings, which had reformed during the creature's rampage.

"I guess I've got one last technique left in me as well."

He gripped his sword in both hands.

"Ryuzenka!"

The two combatants, battered and weary after their long battle, launched themselves at each other one more time, each putting all of their power into one final attack.

* * *

A bright flash of light erupted from within the ice prison, nearly blinding the four standing at the other side of Sokyoku Hill.

The ground shook so strongly that it nearly knocked all of them over despite the distance they still were from the battle.

* * *

The pillars of ice which made up the ice prison cracked apart and toppled over, blown down by the tremendous force unleashed by the two attacks.

The two combatants each stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, facing away from each other.

Toshiro had a new gash from his chest up to his right shoulder. His sword shook unsteadily in his hand.

Byakuya had a gash in his side, but that was not what concerned him. He held up his sword, which was covered in a thick layer of ice.

Toshiro grinned and raised his left hand. He snapped his thumb and middle finger together.

At that moment, the ice shattered, and Byakuya's sword shattered into dozens of pieces along with it.

Byakuya watched as the pieces scatted in the wind.

"Boy."

Toshiro turned his head slightly to look at Byakuya, who was still facing away from him.

"No, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Shinigami. You have broken my blade. Do you plan to kill me now?"

"I don't want to kill you," Toshiro said. "I don't want to kill anyone. I just want to protect my friends, especially Rukia."

Now Byakuya turned to Toshiro. There was no hatred in the boy's eyes. The anger he had seen at the start of their battle was gone. His eyes were pleading for something.

Byakuya turned away. "You are the victor. I give you my word that I will pursue Rukia no more."

"In return, I ask that you extend that protection to the Soul Society."

"Huh?"

Toshiro reached out, but Byakuya had already flash-stepped away.

He sat down, allowing his wings to dissolve away.

"Well, what do you know? I do feel a lot less pressure without my Bankai."

He looked back at where Byakuya had stood. 'What did he mean by that?'

"Toshiro!"

Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and Ganju ran over to him.

"Everyone's here," he said. "We all made it. We did it."

"It would appear so," Uryu said. "I'd say the fact that any of us are still alive, let alone all of us, qualifies as a miracle."

Toshiro chuckled.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've seen you smile," Orihime said. "You're actually kind of cute when you laugh. Little kids should be smiling all the time anyway."

"If I wasn't in so much pain," Toshiro responded, "I'd be mad at you right now for calling me cute."

"Well, she's not wrong," Uryu said.

Chad put his hand on Uryu's shoulder. "There will be plenty of time to tease Toshiro later." He looked at Orihime. "For now let's focused on getting him somewhere where he can get him healed up."

Toshiro laid down on his back.

"And then let's go home."

* * *

 _AN: One thing that always bothered me in the show was how Hyorinmaru was stated to control the weather but almost nothing was done with that. So one of the first ideas I came up with when I first started thinking about this fic years ago was giving Hyorinmaru a lightning attack. Ice is responsible for lightning in a way, after all. The weather control aspect is something I plan on exploring more later down the road._

 _There were a few things I wanted to emphasize about Toshiro's character up to this point. One, of course, is that he fights smarter than Ichigo. Hence he tends to go longer into fights without getting hurt because he would not do things like try to fight a Bankai with only his shikai. Another was his fear of harming people with his own power. This fear was present in the original show and anime, but it seemed to be limited to his use of Hyoten Hyakaso, even though it started with him accidentally freezing his grandma. I thought an even younger version, just discovering his powers, would be terrified of what he could do. Lastly, this version is much younger than the canon version, so he's going to be different for that reason alone. He'll freeze in fright sometimes like against Kenpachi, and he'll be overexcited about discovering he can fly, and he can't intimidate people into not making fun of his height like the captain version. I hope these things got across._


	22. Chapter 22

Chad put Toshiro down against a tree on the other side of Sokyoku Hill so that Orihime could begin healing him.

Orihime held out her arms.

"Shuno, Ayame! Soten Kishun, I reject!"

Toshiro was covered in an orange field as Orihime got to work healing his wounds.

"You sure took quite a beating," Uryu observed. "That Byakuya Kuchiki doesn't mess around."

"This is nothing compared to the state I was in after fighting Kenpachi," Toshiro replied.

"And yet you beat him."

"Fought to a draw, if we're being accurate," Toshiro said. "What about you? I heard you also fought a captain."

Uryu looked uncomfortable. "Yes. I managed to get away, and I posed as a Shinigami to get treatment for my own injuries at their hospital."

"Listen," he continued, "while I was there, I heard something disturbing."

Toshiro looked at him with a grave expression. "What is it?"

"A captain was murdered shortly after we arrived. A man named Aizen," Uryu said.

"Aizen," Toshiro mused. "Never heard of him. They think we killed him?"

"That's the thing," Uryu said. "They don't know."

"It is a certainty that we didn't kill him. We were all in the sewers when the murder occurred," he added.

"And a captain couldn't be murdered so easily," Toshiro said.

"Exactly." Uryu said. "Something else is going on here, and I think it would be very bad if we got caught up in it."

Toshiro looked up, lost in thought.

'Is this what Byakuya meant? Was he asking me to do something about this?'

"By the way," Chad said, "what happened to Rukia?"

"Oh," Toshiro said, snapping back to reality, "Renji took her away."

"Renji," Uryu said skeptically.

"Yeah. He risked everything to rescue Rukia."

"I find that hard to believe," Uryu said.

"And he wasn't the only one. Two captains also intervened to save Rukia."

"And that other captain, Kenpachi, he helped us escape," Orihime interjected.

"Hmph, imagine that," Toshiro said. He looked at Uryu. "We might have misjudged the Shinigami."

Uryu shook his head. "Where'd this sudden optimism come from?"

Toshiro smiled. "We won. What's left to worry abo-"

He stopped as a familiar reiatsu appeared nearby.

"Rukia?"

* * *

Renji was far from the execution stand now, but he continued to run at full speed.

The whole of the Seretei had gone to their posts in response to the chaos which had began at the execution. With his knowledge as a lieutenant he knew where to go to avoid running into other Shinigami.

The battle between Toshiro and Byakuya seemed to be over, but he could not tell who had won. The question fascinated him, but he kept his mouth shut for Rukia's sake. She did not need to think about either of them being killed.

He could feel other battles occurring elsewhere, battles between captains. He did not know why so many captains would be fighting each other, but he was not complaining. It meant that their truly dangerous pursuers would be otherwise occupied.

So he was quite shocked when a captain appeared in front of him.

Kaneme Tousen, the blind pacifist captain of Squad Nine, stood in his way.

Tousen had clearly been in a recent fight. His white captain's haori was gone, and there were bandages on his shoulder.

"Captain Tousen, what's wrong?" Renji asked. "Please let me by. I'm in a hurry."

Tousen did not reply. He held up a long white thread. The thread began to spin in a large circle around him, Renji, and Rukia.

Renji looked about frantically. "What are you doing?"

The thread expanded until it formed a dome around them. There was a flash of light, and they found themselves somewhere else.

Renji cursed as he saw where they had been transported to.

There were numerous formations of ice and debris from a recent battle, but there was no mistaking the execution grounds at the top of Sokyoku Hill.

"It's not the right season, but I think the ice is rather lovely this time of year," a deep voice behind him said.

He turned his head slowly, recognizing that voice.

Gin Ichimaru stood next to another captain who was admiring the scenery. He had dark brown hair, glasses, and the same friendly smile Renji had gotten to know so well over the years.

"Captain Aizen!"

Sosuke Aizen stopped looking over the ice and turned to Renji. His smile remained the same, but now it chilled Renji to the bone.

"How-how can you be alive?"

"Leave Rukia where she is, Renji, and back away," Aizen ordered him.

Neither Renji nor Rukia could move or respond. They were frozen in shock and fright.

" **Attention, please,"** a disembodied rang out. Renji recognized it as belonging to Lieutenant Kotetsu.

" **This is a message for all captains, lieutenants and seated officers, as well as the ryoka. There is a traitor in our midst."**

As he listened, Renji felt his fear boil over into anger and drew his sword.

"Don't be a fool, Renji," Aizen said. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want the girl."

"I don't know why you want Rukia so badly, but the only way you're getting her is o ver my dead body!" Renji yelled. He leaped into the air, still carrying Rukia.

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

He swung his many sectioned blade down on the traitorous captain. Aizen nonchalantly raised his own blade over his head, deflecting Zabimaru.

Renji launched another attack as he landed. This time, Aizen caught the first blade of Zabimaru in his bare hand.

Renji could barely make out Aizen's movement as he sliced through Renji's zanpakuto like it was cheese. He didn't perceive any movement at all as the Squad Five captain proceeded to slice him across the back.

"What a pity," Aizen said as Renji collapsed to his knees, still holding Rukia in one arm and his broken sword in the other arm.

"I'll give you one more chance, Renji. Put the girl down and I'll let you live."

"Stop, Captain Aizen!" Rukia yelled. "I'll go with you! I'll do what you want! Just leave him alone!"

"Shut up, Rukia," Renji grunted. He was panting from the pain. "I won't let him have you."

He took a deep breath and looked up at Aizen, smiling as he did so. "You really thought I'd give her up after everything I went through to save her? You really are dumb."

The smile finally left Aizen's face. "So be it."

As Aizen raised his sword over Renji's head, a small wall of ice appeared between them.

Rewnji turned his head to see Toshiro standing with his sword drawn ten meters behind him.

"Toshiro!" Rukia cried out.

"Come on," Toshiro said, out of breath. He was only partially healed, and the long flash-step he had used to get back to the battleground had drained him.

Renji found the strength to leap back to just behind Toshiro.

"I'm sorry, Toshiro," Renji said, "I'm sorry you had to come."

"Don't worry about it," Toshiro said. "Let's focus on the problem at hand. I recognize Ichimaru, but I don't know who these other two are."

"The blind one is Captain Tousen, and the one with the glasses is Captain Aizen."

Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the Squad Five captain. "So that's Aizen. I heard he was dead."

"So did I," Renji said.

"I don't suppose you can get away from any of these captains," Toshiro asked.

"Afraid not. They're all a lot faster than me."

"And I can't fight three captains at once."

"What are you two doing?" Aizen asked. "Are you discussing strategy? I can assure you that it is quite useless."

"What do you want?" Toshiro yelled. "Why are you after Rukia?"

"Oh? I'm after something she has."

Toshiro glanced at Rukia, who looked confused.

"Something she has?"

Aizen chuckled a little. "You poor boy. Kisuke Urahara didn't tell you anything, did he?"

"Urahara?" Toshiro demanded. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"He hid something in Rukia's body through her gigai, something I've been searching for. The key to removing the barrier between hollow and Shinigami. It's called the Hogyoku."

"Why would he do something like that?" Toshiro asked, his blade shaking with anger.

"All these questions," Aizen said. "Why are you flaring your reiatsu like that if you don't intend to fight?"

Aizen vanished, reappearing directly behind Toshiro.

Toshiro began to spin around in panic.

"Bankai!"

The wings of ice reformed as he turned to face Aizen. But no sooner had he come to a stop than his shoulder erupted in a fountain of blood.

Toshiro's eyes glazed over and he collapsed, his wings shattering.

Aizen looked down at the still figure at his feet. "You hoped to keep me talking while using your reiatsu as a beacon to draw the other captains here. Frankly I'm surprised. An hour ago you were willing to fight them all to the death."

Aizen's words were barely audible to Toshiro in his semi-conscious state. But he heard Rukia's cry of horror, and was dimly aware of Renji falling at his side.

Aizen grabbed Rukia by the neck and held her up.

"Toshiro!"

Uryu, Chad, Orihime, and Ganju had run out of the forest.

Toshiro struggle to lift his head even a few centimeters. "N-n…no…get away…" he said too softly for anyone but those close by to hear him.

Aizen looked down at him again. "So you're still conscious? Astounding, truly."

He looked back at Rukia. "Gin, make sure that we are not disturbed."

"Of course, sir," Gin said. He stepped in front of the ryoka and released his reiatsu, creating such pressure that all but Chad were unable to stand.

"Now, I think that's enough talking," Aizen said.

He removed a small, purple cylinder from his shirt and activated it.

Green spikes erupted around them, and Aizen's hadn turned green and plantlike.

Toshiro found his voice again and screamed as Aizen plunged his hand into Rukia's chest.

The spikes receded as Aizen let Rukia drop. In his hand he held a small crystal orb with a blowing blue center.

"I had originally planned to have the Sokyoku release the Hokyoku by burning your body to atoms. But as I expected, young Toshiro Hitsugaya prevented your execution. So I went over Urahara's research until I found the way to remove an object implanted in a person's soul without having to completely destroy their body first."

'He's talking again,' Toshiro realized. 'Now that he has what he wants he doesn't care about wasting time anymore.'

Aizen looked down at Rukia, who was shaking from the ordeal. "It appears that Urahara's method does not do permanent damage to the soul. That is unexpected."

"But I no longer have any use for you." He turned around and began to walk away. "Kill her, Gin."

Gin complied without hesitation, drawing his zanpakuto and pointing it at Rukia.

"Shoot to kill, Shinzo."

Toshiro finally managed to lift his head off the ground, but none of the muscles below his neck would move. Rukia closed her eyes reflexively as the blade approached.

She heard a cruching sound as the blade impaled flesh and bone, but she felt no pain. She opened her eyes.

Byakuya Kuchiki had pushed her out of the way at the last moment and had been impaled on Gin's blade himself.

"Byakuya … brother!" Rukia exclaimed in shock.

Gin frowned and retracted his shikai. Byakuya collapsed in a pool of blood as the blade left his body.

Rukia burst into tears as she kneeled over her brother. "Why? Why did you protect me?"

Byakuya did not respond. Instead, he looked at Toshiro, whose mouth was wide open in shock.

Toshiro nodded at Byakuya.

A shadow appeared over Aizen, who looked up to see what appeared to be a large dog in a captain's hyori swinging a massive zanpakuto at him.

" _Aizen!"_ Captain Komamura screamed.

Aizen leapt out of the way of the strike and held up his hand.

"Hado number ninety. Kurohitsugi."

A large cube of black energy surrounded Komamura. Spears of the same black energy penetrated the cube from every direction.

When the cube dissipated, Komamura collapsed as well.

'Why are they all showing up one at a time?' Toshiro thought in frustration. 'No one can beat this guy on their own.'

He was unable to look up as a loud scream came from above.

Jidanbou hurtled towards the ground, carrying Kukaku Shiba on his shoulder. The head of the Shiba clan unleashed an energy blast at Aizen.

Aizen dodged the attack again. As he reached for his sword Soi Fon and Yoruichi appeared beside him. Soi Fon held her sword to his throat as Yoruichi held his sword down.

Other captains and seated officers began appearing, capturing Gin and Tousen as well.

Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally," he whispered.

But Aizen merely smiled at his predicament. He looked at the Shinigami gathered, from the Head Captain to the lieutenants who held their blades to his subordinates' throats.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but I really must be going."

A beam of yellow light shot down from the sky, enveloping Aizen.

A tear appeared at the light's source. As the Shinigami watched in horror, a pair of gigantic white hands pulled the tear open, revealing many Menos Grande.

Addition beams of light enveloped Gin and Tousen. The pieces of land on which the three traitors stood were ripped from the ground.

Ukitake stepped forward.

"You've joined with the Menos, Aizen. Why? Have you become that corrupt?"

"You're blinded by your self-righteousness," Aizen replied as he continued to rise in the air. "No one was standing heaven to begin with. Not you, not me, not even a god."

Aizen removed his glasses and moved his bangs back. "However, that vacancy on the throne of heaven will soon be filled. From now on, I will rule in heaven."

"Goodbye, Shinigami."

He spared one last look at Toshiro. "And goodbye, boy who sits upon the frozen heavens. For a human, you were amusing."

Aizen, Gin, and Tousen disappeared into the hole in the sky.

* * *

Squad Four medics rushed treat the injured Shinigami, including Renji and Byakuya. Meanwhile, Orihime was once again healing Toshiro.

"Sorry," Toshiro said to Orihime. "You just healed me and here I am in worse shape than before."

"Don't worry about it." Orihime assured him. "I'm not really much good at fighting, so this is how I help out."

"Hmm." Toshiro turned his head to look at Rukia, who was still by her brother's side. Head Captain Yammamoto was approaching her.

"Rukia Kuchiki," Yammamoto said, "we have determined that Sosuke Aizen murdered the entirety of Central-Six and posed as the high council to issue the orders to apprehend and execute you. In light of this fact, as well as today's events, your death sentence is hereby commuted."

"Head captain," she replied.

Yammaoto turned away and walked towards the ryoka.

Urtyu, Chad, and Ganju steeled themselves for another fight as they watched the head captain approach.

"Steady," Toshiro told his friends. "Don't do anything rash."

Yammamoto stopped in front of Toshiro. Toshiro looked the head captain directly in the eye, being careful not to betray any emotion.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya," Yammamoto said. "I recognize that you and your friends were merely attempting to save someone you cared about."

"However," he said gravely, "you invaded the Seretei, attacked and wounded many officers, including several lieutenants and captains, and destroyed the Sokyoku. These crimes cannot be overlooked, no matter how well-intentioned the motivation."

Chad, Uryu, and Ganju glared at Yammamoto as Orihime and Rukia stared at him in horror.

"Head captain, wait."

Yammamoto turned his head to look at Byakuya.

"Brother," Rukia said.

"Please, listen to what I have to say," Byakuya continued.

"If we were to kill this boy, we would be dooming ourselves."

Yammamoto looked at Toshiro skeptically. "Explain yourself," he demanded.

"I fought him," Byakuya said. "I have seen his power, and I believe that he is the one the legends spoke of, the heavenly guardian."

Toshiro's friends gave him a confused look, one which he reciprocated. Rukia, on the other hand, looked at Toshiro with a new expression, one of wonder.

Yammamoto also looked at Toshiro, bot in confusion or wonder, but in thought.

"Very well, I will consider your words, Captain Kuchiki."

The head captain walked away, and Byakuya turned to his sister.

"Rukia, there is so much I must tell you."

* * *

The ryoka were all invited to the barracks of Squad Thirteen as the Shinigami dealt with the aftermath of Aizen's treachery. Ganju did not join them, instead going home with his sister Kukaku.

Toshiro and the others were all surprised to find that they were considered heroes in Squad Thirteen. From the moment they arrived at the barracks groups of shinigami surrounded them and inundated them with questions about everything from how they got into the Seretei to how their powers worked.

It was too much for Toshiro, who was not used to crowds, and left as soon as he could. He went up to the roof of the barracks to watch the sunset.

'We did it,' he thought. 'And yet this fight seems like it's only just getting started.'

He recalled Byakuya's words. 'What in the world have I gotten myself into?'

"It is a gorgeous view."

Toshiro turned to see Captain Ukitake approaching him. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Not at all," Toshiro replied.

Ukitake sat down. "We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Jushiro Ukitake, Rukia's captain."

"Toshiro Hisugaya."

Ukitake smiled. "We seem to have a lot in common, Toshiro. We both have white hair. We both have 'Shiro' in our names, and we both care for Rukia."

"I guess."

The long-haired captain looked up at the sunset.

"I wanted to thank you, Toshiro, for saving Rukia."

"You also saved her. You held back the Sokyoku."

Ukitake looked down sadly. "I didn't get there in time. I waited too long to take action. I'm afraid that in the end, I did not have the same courage you and your friends showed, or Renji and Hanataro Yamada."

"How's Rukia?" Toshiro asked.

"Shaken," Ukitake said. "And who can blame her after everything that's happened. Not to mention Byakuya finally telling her the truth about his former wife being her real sister."

"But I think she's going to be fine. You, Renji, and Byakuya all surviving is a big relief for her."

"That's good," Toshiro said.

Ukitake looked down at Toshiro. "But there's something else bothering you."

Toshiro looked up at him. "Earlier, Byakuya said something about me being a 'heavenly guardian.' What did he mean?"

Ukitake sighed. "That is an old legend. Once every few centuries, a great warrior is supposed to arise to save the Soul Society. According to the legend, the warrior is supposed to have great wings and command over the sky."

"And just what is this warrior supposed to do?"

"I'm afraid no one really knows," Ukitake said sadly. "But it does seem that we are facing a crisis in which we'll need a hero."

They sat in contemplative silence for about a minute.

"Oh, I almost forgo!" Ukitake exclaimed.

"What?"

"I've got snacks!" he said, reaching into his sleeves. He handed Toshiro a package of crackers.

"I've also got candies!" He pulled out chocolates, cookies, and an assortment of other sweets from his sleeves to give to Toshiro.

"Hey! What?"

When he was certain he had given Toshiro all the snacks he had, Ukitake smiled and got up. "If you like those, come downstairs to ask for more. It's the least I can do."

Toshiro sat dumbfounded as Ukitake walked off.

"What am I supposed to do with all this?" He sighed. "Maybe one of the others will want these."

* * *

There were too many snacks for even four people to eat.

"So this is how they show appreciation in Soul Society?" Uryu asked.

"I think it's an Ukitake thing," Toshiro replied. He sat down in a chair in the corner of the room. "He likes giving things to children, I guess."

"Did you just admit to being a child?"

Toshiro glared at Uryu for a moment, but decided to let it slide.

"It's strange," Chad said. "For so long they were trying to kill us, and now they're treating us like heroes."

"Yes, well, a large part of what we were trying to do was to change how things work around here," Uryu said.

"Not to mention, we now have a common enemy," Toshiro added.

The others stopped what they were doing.

"Pretending it away won't make it any less real," Toshiro continued.

Uryu pushed his glasses up. "That may be, but I will not be there to fight this Aizen."

"Uryu…" Orihime said.

"I'm a Quincy," he explained. "There's a limit to how far I can go, and fighting alongside the shinigami is beyond that limit. If you mean to ally with them, you'll have to do it without me."

"I understand," Toshiro said.

They stood and sat in grim silence for what seemed to be an eternity.

"Hey, look at this, Toshiro!" Orihime said, attempting to lighten the mood. She held up a white dress. "Look what Uryu made for Rukia."

Toshiro was unsure how to respond. "It's, um, it's very nice. I guess it'll make a good going away present."

The others all stopped again.

"What do you mean, a going away present?" Orihime asked. "Isn't Rukia coming with us?"

"Maybe she would if they were still trying to execute her," Toshiro said, "but what would she do back in our world? Go back to school with us?"

He looked at Uryu. "Rukia's a Shinigami. This is where she belongs."

Uryu smiled and nodded.

Toshiro leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "So what do you guys plan to do when we get back?"

Orihime put her finger on her chin in thought. "I hadn't really thought about that. What do you plan to do, Toshiro?"

"The first thing I'm gonna do is go out for ice cream."

"Ice cream sounds nice," Chad said.

"Yeah," Orihime said enthusiastically. "I wonder if they've come up with any new flavors while we've been away? I'd like to try some spicy ice cream!"

Toshiro smiled and looked at Uryu. "What about you? Feel up for some ice cream?"

Uryu grinned. "Are you saying that your zanpakuto can't even make its own ice cream? Then what good is it?"

"Touché," Toshiro responded. "Maybe that's Ukitake's power, to make food appear out of thin air."

* * *

The next morning, Ukitake led them to the senkaimon they would use to get back to Karakura town. Yoruichi joined them in her cat form.

"The senkaimon has been adapted specifically for you this time," Ukitake said. "In addition, we'll send a Shinigami with you to ensure you don't run into the cleaner."

"Thank you," Toshiro said.

"By the way," Ukitake said, holding out a small wooden object, "this is for you, Toshiro."

Toshiro took the object and examined it closely. It was a five-sided badge with a carving of a hollow-mask in the center.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A substitute Shinigami badge."

"You make badges for people like me?" Toshiro asked skeptically.

"Over the centuries there have been a few other instances where substitute Shinigami have been deemed useful," Ukitake explained. "They too were given this badge as proof of their status. You can use it to transform into a Shinigami whenever you need to."

He looked down. "Of course, such a mere token could never really repay you for what you have done here."

Toshiro looked uncomfortable as he stared at the badge.

He put the badge away. "That's all right. "Seeing Rukia safe and happy is all the repayment I needed. But thanks. It's an … honor."

Ukitake closed his eyes and smiled.

'What a remarkable boy. We really can count on him when the time is right.'

Toshiro turned his attention to Rukia, who Orihime was pressing to accept the dress Uryu had made.

"Hey," he said, walking up to her.

Rukia smiled at him. "Hi, Toshiro. You've certainly come a long way from that little boy who didn't want to be a Shinigami."

He returned her smile. "I guess I have. Have you worked things out with your brother?"

"I have. I didn't realize how much he actually cared about me until now."

"I'm glad," Toshiro said. He stepped forward and embraced her in a hug.

"Thank you, Rukia."

Rukia chuckled in surprise. "What are you thanking me for, silly?"

"You were my first real friend. Before you came into my life, I was all alone."

He looked back at Orihime, Chad, and Uryu. "And now I'm not alone anymore, all because of what you started."

Rukia looked stunned. Memories flooded through her

" _No way am I fighting monsters like that again! Once is quite enough for a lifetime!"_

" _I'm not going to be bullied into being a superhero! I'm only eleven years old, for crying out loud!"_

 _"Toshiro…" Rukia said._

 _She took the sobbing boy and embraced him tightly, lending him her shoulder to cry on._

 _"I'm so sorry."_

 _Rukia took in the sight of Toshiro: gravely wounded, crying uncontrollably._

" _I'm so sorry."_

Her eyes began to water. 'All this time, I thought I ruined his life. But he never blamed me for his suffering. He thought of me as a friend?'

"I'll never forget what you taught me," Toshiro added.

Rukia pulled Toshiro close and hugged him.

"Thank you, Toshiro," she said while crying.

"It's time," Ukitake said.

A low-ranking member of Squad Thirteen stepped forward to guide them back to the world of the living.

Rukia watched as Toshiro and the others began to step into the senkaimon. Orihime waved at her enthusiastically.

"I'll see you around," she said.

Toshiro turned around and smiled at her one last time before stepping through the barrier.

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

They emerged in the air over Karakura Town.

"Ahhh!" they all screamed as they fell.

Toshiro reached for his sword, intending to use his Bankai, but a large cloth appeared below them, catching them before he could.

"Hello, everybody!" Urahara said, sitting at the front of the now-flying cloth.

"Urahara," Toshiro muttered angrily.

Urahara looked down. "From the tone of your voice, I'm guessing you heard all about me."

All eyes were on Toshiro as he glared daggers into the back of Urahara's head.

Yoruichi walked up to her childhood friend's side.

'You know he's not going to forgive you after everything you've done,' she thought.

"I think I owe you an explanation."

"You do," Toshiro agreed. "But not today."

"I'll hear what you have to say tomorrow. This is a happy moment I don't want to ruin.

Toshiro looked to his friends. "For now, just drop us off at the nearest ice cream shop."


	23. Chapter 23

The beast ran for its life.

The four-legged creature had only known hunger for its entire existence, hunger for the souls of those little people who seemed so plentiful.

But when he saw that even littler person, he felt something new, an overwhelming sense of dread.

He had frozen in more ways than one. The very presence of the boy dressed in black had caused a cold pressure to envelop the beast. He did not know who the boy was, but he knew what he was: death.

And so he obeyed his instincts and ran. But though he moved as fast as he could, that cold pressure did not diminish. It felt like he was running in place.

The beast came to a sudden stop as he saw the boy standing in his path, an impassive expression on his face.

A scream of terror died in the creature's throat as the boy reached over his shoulder and drew a sword. It watched as the boy swung the sword down.

And then it knew nothing.

'I've never had a hollow run from me like that,' Toshiro thought. 'They must be able to sense how much stronger I've become.'

He turned his attention to the hollow's intended victim, the soul of a middle aged woman lying on the ground.

"That-that _thing_ was trying to _eat_ me!" she said in horror.

"Don't worry," Toshiro assured her. "It won't bother you again."

He knelt by her side.

"I'm going to send you to a better place now, a place where you'll be safe from these monsters.

He touched the hilt of his sword to her forehead, performing the konso.

His job done, Toshiro stood up again.

'Now comes the hard part.'

* * *

Urahara Kisuke was not looking forward to this.

Toshiro was already sitting at the table in the front of his shop, eyes closed as if he was in meditation. He was in his Shinigami form with his zanpakuto sheathed on his back.

'This could get violent,' he thought.

Urahara stepped out from behind the door to the inner section of the shop and sat down across from the substitute Shinigami. Tessai had set out a cup of tea for each of them.

"So, here we are."

Toshiro opened his eyes and looked at Urahara. For the moment his expression was serious, but not angry.

For the moment.

"Before we begin," Urahara said, "I want to know one thing first. Did Aizen release his shikai when you fought him."

"No," Toshiro answered. "The difference between us was so large it would have been a waste of time for him to release his shikai."

Urahara breathed a sigh of relief. "It may not seem that way to you now, but that was a blessing in disguise."

Toshiro waited for Urahara to continue.

"Aizen's zanpakuto, Kyōka Suigetsu, has the ability to inflict what is called 'perfect hypnosis.' This means that it can control the five senses, what a person sees, what he smells, even the senses of taste and touch. Anyone who has seen the sword's release even once will be forever subject to the hypnosis. Aizen can control that person's very conception of reality.

"The fact that you did not see his shikai release makes you our biggest asset. You are the only captain-level Shinigami who is not subject to Aizen's perfect hypnosis."

Toshiro was not pleased. "There's no pressure there."

"Now, I believe you have a few questions for me."

"I do," Toshiro said. "I'll work my way up from least important to most important."

"Fair enough."

"This 'heavenly guardian' they are calling me in Soul Society, you knew about this, didn't you?"

"I guessed," Urahara admitted.

"And when did you make this guess?"

"Shortly after I detected a small child with a huge amount of spirit energy who suffered from nightmares involving a voice and a dragon. Your exploits after you met Rukia Kuchiki confirmed my suspicions."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed in anger. "You've been watching me for years."

Urahara almost expected the boy to reach for his sword then and there, but he continued with his questioning.

"And did you tell Yoruichi the real reason you sent us there? I know you didn't tell her the truth about me. She was shocked when she saw Hyorinmaru's true form."

"I did not. I was playing my hand pretty close to the chest."

"She's your best friend, maybe your only friend, and you couldn't even tell her the truth. How am I supposed to trust a word you say to me?"

"I have not lied once," Urahara declared. "I may leave certain things out, but every word I say is true."

"Hmph. Very well. Now tell me about the thing Aizen took from Rukia, the Hogyoku."

"The Hogyoku." Urahara Sat back in his chair. "It was something Aizen was trying to create a hundred years ago. A device which can break down the barriers between hollows and Shinigami, allowing each to take on the powers of the other."

Toshiro's brow furrowed as he considered which line of questioning to proceed with.

"You did something like that to me, didn't you?"

Urahara picked up his tea and began sipping it. 'Better to let him vent,' he thought.

"A hollow mask just happens to appear in the perfect place to prevent me from being sliced in half. Another me just happens to be in Hyorinmaru's world. And then that thing that briefly took over me when I was fighting Byakuya. I can put two and two together, Mr. Hat and Clogs. It's not a coincidence that I started training with a man who develops technologies to merge Shinigami and hollows, and soon afterwards I start developing hollow-symptoms! I can even pinpoint when you did it. Your little training regiment to get my powers back, when you cut my chain of fate right as I found Hyorinmaru. You wanted me to partially transform into a hollow then."

Toshiro glared at Urahara, who felt the temperature drop several degrees.

"It did give me an edge – it saved my life three times. But you had no right to do what you did. No right at all."

Urahara put down the tea cup.

"I thought we were talking about the Hogyoku," he said.

"I told you, the most important matters will come last."

'So the idea that he may have a monster growing inside him is lower on his list of priorities than the Hogyoku and what it meant for the Kuchiki girl,' Urahara thought. 'Interesting.'

"But on that subject, how did something like the Hogyoku get inside Rukia?"

"I put it inside her soul," Urahara admitted. "After I created the Hogyoku, I became afraid of what it could do. I attempted to destroy it, but nothing worked. I could not find a way to unmake what I had made. My only option was to get rid of it."

"By putting it inside the soul of a Shinigami?" Toshiro asked skeptically.

"I had developed a special kind of gigai that was not constructed from spirit energy. Such a gigai would consume the reiatsu of its wearer until they became completely human, undetectable to anyone in the Soul Society. That way, I hoped to keep the Hogyoku safe."

"You _what?"_

Toshiro's rage had finally reached the breaking point. He threw his tea against the wall, shattering the glass.

"Being a Shinigami was the one thing that gave Rukia's life meaning, and you took that away from her." His voice was almost a growl. "No wonder she was willing to die!"

"To make matters worse, you left her helpless when the Soul Society came after her!"

"I could have forgiven you if it was just me you had manipulated like this. But you just can't help yourself, can you? Your plan for Rukia failed, so you sent an eleven-year-old boy and a group of teenagers to do your dirty work for you. You sent a group of child soldiers into a warzone without bothering to tell us the truth about our mission."

Toshiro slammed his fist on the table. Frost and ice began to spread from his hand across the wooded surface.

"Everyone is just a pawn to you, even your own friends, even Yoruichi. Do you even care about the people you hurt along the way?"

"Believe it or not, I do," Urahara responded. "You're right about me, but your youth has given you a childish view of right and wrong. When you are dealing with someone like Aizen you have to make some sacrifices and hard decisions to win."

Toshiro opened his fist, but his eyes narrowed even further in an icy glare. "Despite everything, I do think that your intentions were probably good. That's the only reason I haven't drawn my sword. But your methods are despicable, and I will not be a part of them anymore."

"This is the end of our association," Toshiro declared. "I don't want to see your face ever again."

The table, now frozen along its center, split in two.

"And if you come near any of my friends ever again, I'll kill you."

Toshiro got up and stormed out, leaving Urahara alone.

Urahara looked down at his tea, which had spilled when the table was split.

"I have to admit, I didn't think the shop would still be intact when he left."


	24. Chapter 24

Toshiro was floating in the sky, his wings fully extended on either side of him.

He grimaced as his Bankai began taking his toll on him. He lowered himself to the ground and let his wings dissolve away.

Toshiro removed a watch from his pocket and looked at the time.

'Less than ten minutes,' he thought. 'And this time I just had it activated. I wasn't fighting or using any special techniques.'

'That's nowhere near good enough.'

He needed training, a lot more training.

There was one problem. Summer vacation was over, and school would start the next day.

* * *

"No! I am not going in your backpack!"

Zilla was refusing to come with Toshiro to school.

"Ever since you came back from the Soul Society you've been ignoring me! With that badge they gave you, you think you don't need to switch bodies with me anymore! Well, I can take a hint!"

"You know I need to keep my body awake when I'm at school so as not to arouse suspicion," Toshiro said.

"What if I don't care?"

"All right," Toshiro said. "I guess I can take really long bathroom breaks."

"Wait – you aren't going to try to convince me to come anymore?"

"You don't want to. I'm not going to force you." Toshiro picked up his bag and made to leave the room. "Besides, if I stay here arguing with you I'm going to be late for the first day of school."

Zilla jumped in front of the door and held out his pudgy arms. "Oh, no. I'm not letting you off the hook that easy!"

"Off the hook?" Toshiro asked. "For what?"

"You know! You didn't do what you promised to do! You didn't bring Rukia back!"

Any annoyance Toshiro had with the talking Godzilla doll dissipated.

"You miss her too."

"Of course I do! Why don't you?"

Toshiro stepped over Zilla and opened his bedroom door. "I can't force Rukia to go anywhere any more than I can force you to come to school. Soul Society is where she belongs."

Zilla tried to fold his arms, but they were too short to fold against his chest. "Where she belongs, huh? So where do you belong, Mr. superhero?"

"Right now, I belong in school."

* * *

The students were very loud as they filed into class, exchanging stories of what they did over the summer.

"Drama camp was great! We put on a musical!"

"We went to Disney Land. And I thought Tokyo was crowded! I've never seen lines so long."

"My parents took me to Australia. Did you know that when it's summer here it's winter there? I feel cheated! I didn't get any summer!"

It was a ritual that was repeated at the start of every school year. Toshiro, Uryu, and Chad never really participated in it, but Orihime did. She was always telling exaggerated stories about what she had gotten up to.

This time her story was not exaggerated at all. She regaled her classmates with tales of visiting a city where everyone dressed like they were from feudal Japan and carried katanas.

Toshiro paid her no mind. He knew that she knew no one would believe her, and he noted that she was careful not to slip any of the truly important details into her story.

When Uryu entered the class he and Toshiro exchanged looks. They each nodded silently in acknowledgement of the other before Uryu took his seat several rows away.

It was the only interaction they would share that day.

Eventually the teacher entered the classroom and got the students to settle down.

Toshiro opened his notebook and got out his pen to take notes on their lesson.

But the pen never touched the paper.

He wanted to focus on what his teacher was saying, but her couldn't. It all seemed so … banal, so mundane.

Toshiro had never been one to jot down everything his teachers said, only the points that seemed important. But now he could not distinguish a single thing which struck him as important.

He looked around. Orihime seemed lost in thought, and not at all happy. And Chad showed visible signs of frustration on his face, something which had never happened during a class before.

Toshiro sighed and put his pen down.

He should have expected this. Their group had seen, done, and experienced things beyond human comprehension over the summer. They had fought demons and death gods and lived to tell the tale. They all had discovered powers beyond the ken of mortal men, and had spent about a month in the literal afterlife.

There was no going back for them.

Even if they could be assured that there was no threat from the likes of Aizen, they could never forget what had happened, They could never un-see what they had seen, or un-experience all they had experienced.

Normal life was over, for all of them.

* * *

Toshiro went to the roof to eat lunch as he had previously done. As he had expected, Chad and Orihime followed him.

They sat down to eat, unsure of what to say to each other.

The last time they had been together it was when they had gone out for ice cream right after returning from the Soul Society. There had been an air of celebration between them then. They were the heroes returning from a successful rescue mission. They had all had a good laugh when the woman behind the counter freaked out at the sight of an ice cream cone floating in midair, as they had forgotten that normal humans could not see Toshiro's Shinigami form.

There was no sense of triumph now, no moment of humor to add levity to their situation, only a sense of uncertainty over what the future held.

Finally, Toshiro broke the awkward silence.

"So, what do you two plan to do?"

Orihime and Chad looked at each other.

"We were wondering what you were planning on doing," Orihime said with a hint of worry. "Are you really going to fight this Aizen?"

"You have a choice," Todhiro said. "I don't."

"Why not?" Chad asked.

Toshiro put his lunch down. "I'd probably choose to fight anyway, but I can't be certain that the Shinigamis' decision to let me live is not contingent on my helping them fight Aizen."

"You really think they'd come after you again?" Orihime asked in shock.

"I don't know, but I think there's a very good chance they would if I stopped being useful. They don't tolerate loose canons or wild cards very well.

"And if the Soul Society is counting on me so much," he continued, "then Aizen will feel compelled to come after me sooner or later. There's no way he can ignore his enemies' vaunted 'heavenly guardian.'"

Orihime and Chad looked at each other and nodded.

"That's it, then," Orihime said. "We'll fight with you."

"You don't have to – " Toshiro began, only to be cut off by Chad.

"There's no way we're going to let you face what's coming alone."

"I … " Toshiro bowed his head. "Thank you, both of you."

"So, what's our first move?" Chad asked.

Toshiro closed his eyes in thought. "If we're going to do this, then we need to learn to work together. When we went to the Soul Society, none of us really knew what the rest of us could do. I didn't even know you to had powers until right before we left."

"That was a mistake we can't repeat. We need learn to work as a team, to know each other's abilities inside and out. We need to train together this time."

Chad nodded, and Orihime said: "That makes sense. But do you think we should ask Uryu to come with us?"

"No," Toshiro said firmly. "You heard Uryu. He's already decided that he will not fight. We have to respect his decision."

Chad nodded. "So where will we train? At Mr. Hat and Clog's place?"

Toshiro gritted his teeth in anger. "Absolutely not. There's no telling what that man might do. The only thing that's certain about him that he's completely untrustworthy."

They did not notice that the door to the roof was slightly ajar, or that a teenage boy with long, blonde hair was sitting on the stairs leading to the roof and listening to their every word.

The blonde boy smiled when he heard Toshiro criticize Urahara.

* * *

Toshiro paced back and forth along the river bank.

They had chosen a location at the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Karakura Town so as not to draw attention when they trained. The river would ensure that Toshiro's zanpakuto was at its maximum effectiveness during their training.

Toshiro still had deep concerns.

He did not know which would be more selfish, to knowingly put Chad and Orihime in danger so that he would not be alone, or to not respect the choice they had made and make them quit for their own good.

He wished they had simply chosen not to fight so that he would not be faced with this dilemma, but he knew what they'd say when he saw their faces during their first class of the day.

They would fight no matter what he'd say to talk them out of it. The only course of action was to ensure they could defend themselves as well as possible, and that he could protect them to the best of his abilities.

It wasn't long before Chad and Orihime arrived, showing no signs of having cold feet.

In fact, Orihime was bursting with energy.

"All right," she said excitedly, raising both her fists, "let's get started."

Toshiro had to be impressed by her enthusiasm.

"Before we do, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

He drew his sword and pointed it to the side. A large mist swelled around the area just in front of where he was pointing.

The mist was thick and spun like a tornado. Orihime's mouth was wide open in wonder as she and Chad watched a figure take form within the mist.

The mist began to clear, revealing a large, winged dragon of ice with glowing red eyes.

"Whoa … " Orihime said. Even Chad had to strain to look high enough to see the dragon's face.

Toshiro sheathed his sword.

"Chad, Orihime, I'd like you to meet Hyorinmaru."


	25. Chapter 25

Toshiro stopped in midair to avoid the energy blast.

He looked down. Chad was pulling his arm back in preparation for another blast. In the meantime Orihime was launching her own attack.

The little man, Tsubaki, launched himself at Toshiro, who dodged again.

Chad unleashed his next attack, forcing Toshiro to make a sharp right turn.

This training was meant to improve Chad and Orihime's accuracy as they tried to hit a fast moving target while also allowing Toshiro to practice using his Bankai for extended periods.

Toshiro frowned as he saw Tsubaki move in for another strike. The boy reached out with his free hand and grabbed the angry fairy out of the air.

"Hey! Lemme Go!" the avatar of Orihime's attacks yelled.

Below, Chad and Orihime stopped their attacks as they watched Toshiro come in for landing.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro held up Tsubaki and let him go.

"I want you both to attack me at the same time," he said. "And this time I won't dodge."

"What?" Orihime cried.

"You can't be serious," Chad said.

"I am. You both need to trust me."

Orihime and Chad looked at each other in worry. Chad nodded at Orihime and drew his arm back again.

Orihime gulped and held her arms out in front of her.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

The two attacks bore down on Toshiro, who seemed unconcerned despite Chad and Orihime's worry. They struck home, creating a large explosion Chad and Orihime were forces to shield their eyes from.

Orihime heard Tsubaki return to her and opened her eyes. The area where Toshiro had been standing was covered in smoke, with much of the surrounding ground on fire.

"Oh no … " she whispered.

Toshiro's wings appeared from the smoke, pushing it aside. He stepped forward, a frost extending from his feet to extinguish the flames around him.

"As you can see, you can't hurt me," Toshiro said. "Even if you manage to hit me, my wings can absorb all of the damage, and I've got other ways to defend myself."

"So stop holding back," he said with a hint of annoyance. "I need to know what you're truly capable of if we're going to work together in battle, and I can't get any sense of your true strength if you keep using such weak attacks."

He looked at Chad. "Can you show me that power that scared Byakuya?"

Chad looked down in thought, remembering his confrontation with the captain on the bridge and the desperation he had felt in that moment. He nodded and clenched his fist. The torrent of energy burst from his shoulder again,

With a mighty yell, Chad launched an attack into the sky. This blast was far larger than the previous ones and bathed area in white light.

Orihime stared in awe at the power of Chad's attack.

"That's more like it," Toshiro said. "From now on, I want every attack you make to be at least as strong as that one."

Toshiro glanced at Orihime, who seemed doubtful she could unleash an attack with that much power.

Truth be told, he was starting to doubt her power himself.

* * *

Deep in the dungeons of Hueco Mundo, a large figure sat in a stone prison. The figure was bound head to toe in bandages, giving it the appearance of a mummy.

It moaned in a deep, loud voice.

The figure began to writhe in pain as its body expanded, bursting out of the bandages.

Its fists slammed on the ground. It stood, examining its new body.

Where it had previously walked on all fours, it now stood bipedal with human arms. Everything about it was different, new, better. Everything except its hollow mask.

The figure took a deep break, and the mask opened up at the mouth, revealing a human face underneath,

It roared in triumph, its transformation complete.

"Toshiro … Hitsugaya …" it said, its voice full of hate.

* * *

For the second day in a row, Toshiro struggled to pay attention in class.

After spending the better part of a month in his Shinigami form, it felt strange to go back to his human, non-super hero body.

It wasn't just that as a human he lacked the speed, strength, and durability he had as a Shinigami. During his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki and his Bankai training Toshiro had learned to perceive his environment in a completely new way. He could hear the tiniest sounds around him and perceive all of the moisture in the air. While it had been overwhelming at first, he had gotten used to having advanced senses, relying on them rather than his eyes in battle.

Those senses did not work when Toshiro was in human form, leaving him feeling blind and vulnerable.

It was a relief when his substitute Shinigami badge began to vibrate in his pocket during class, signaling the appearance of a hollow. He stood up and calmly stated that he needed to use the bathroom.

When the teacher gave Toshiro permission, Chad and Orihime quickly stood up and ran out of the classroom, yelling that they also needed to use the bathroom.

"Is it a hollow?" Orihime asked.

Toshiro nodded.

The hollow had a pig's mask.

"That's different," Chad said.

"I can't believe the hollows are still around," Orihime said.

"I fear that hollows will inhabit this planet for as long as there are human beings" Chad responded.

The hollow leapt into the air, screaming about pork and beef. It launched an energy attack from its mouth, which Orihime blocked with her shield.

Toshiro turned to Orihime. "You want to take this one?"

"M-me?"

He nodded. "He's all yours."

Orihime looked up at Chad, who nodded as well.

"Um, all right.

She put her hands together and took aim at the hollow.

"Tsubaki! "Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

Orihime's attack fairy launched itself at the hollow, striking it in the center of its pig mask.

"She did it," Chad said as they watched the hollow fade away.

Toshiro nodded, but he did not look happy.

'So that's Orihime's full power, what she can do when she really puts her mind to it.'

* * *

They gathered at their training grounds again that evening.

Toshiro sat down on a tree stump next to his sword and took out several sheets of paper.

"I've been thinking of some ideas for combination moves we can practice."

Orihime and Chad took the papers and looked them over.

"Um … " Orihime said hesitantly, "there's nothing here in which I use Tsubaki."

Toshiro looked down. "No, there isn't."

Orihime glared at Toshiro.

"So what? You don't think I can help?"

"You _can_ help," Toshiro insisted. "You can do things Chad and I could never do. Your strengths are just not offensive in nature."

"So I just watch as you and Chad get hurt again."

Chad put his hand on Orihime's shoulder, but she rebuffed him and walked off into the forest.

Chad looked at Toshiro, who in turn looked at his zanpakuto. He gripped the handle.

* * *

When she was out of earshot Orihime fell to her knees, sobbing.

 **That was not a rejection.**

She looked up to see the great dragon crouched behind her.

"Oh, Hyorinmaru," she said, raising her arm to wipe her eyes.

The dragon tilted its head in puzzlement.

 **You have always been scared of a little boy, and yet now you show no fear in the face of a dragon.**

"I guess, somehow I know you won't hurt anyone."

 **My master was terrified of me. He thought that if he used my power he would hurt you.**

"Your master?" she asked. "You mean Toshiro?"

 **Do you remember his fights with Ikkaku Madarame and Renji Abarai?**

Orihime winced as she remembered Renji throwing Toshiro thrugh the wall and how badly hurt he was when he emerged.

 **He could have ended both battles without injury, but he held himself back to protect you, Chad, Uryu, Ganju, and Hanataro.**

"Are-are you saying he got hurt those times, because of us?"

 **He, who has never known friendship before, is terrified of losing it now that he has found it. He will suffer whatever harm so as not to lose any of you.**

"You mean that he'd go through the same lengths for us that he went to to rescue Rukia?"

 **Yes. But he does not know how not to push his friends away. I believe that is why he turned to me now.**

Orihime chuckled despite her tears. "Yeah. That sounds about right."

"Can I ask you something?" she said. "Why do you call Toshiro your master?"

 **That is the relationship between Shinigami and zanpakuto. We share the same desire.**

"And what is that?"

 **We both desire a place where we belong.**

 _"Rukia's a Shinigami. This is where she belongs."_

 **Chad's deepest desire is to discover the purpose of his strength. The Quincy seeks to prove himself worthy of his heritage. And you wish to be special.**

"Is that so wrong?"

 **You do not have to fight and kill. There are other ways to be special. To my master, anyone who is willing to put up with him is already special.**

Orihime smiled at that. "Thanks, Hyorinmaru."

She began to walk back in the direction of her friends. "You know, you're actually a pretty chill guy."

The dragon sweat-dropped.

 **Was that a pun?**

Orihime had hardly walked a few steps when a shudder ran through her.

"This-this reiatsu!" she said in fear.

 **It is far greater than the hollow you defeated earlier.**

Orihime turned her head, but the dragon was already gone.

* * *

She ran back to the edge of the river, where she saw that Toshiro had stood up and sheathed his sword.

"Looks like training is cancelled for today," he said with a surprising anger in his voice.

"We're ready," Chad said.

Toshiro shook his head. "No. This one's mine. I recognize its stench."

"Are you sure," Orihime asked. She had never heard such hatred in his voice before.

A white and blue aura began to surround Toshiro.

"This hollow killed my sister."

With that, he vanished.

The monster landed on top of one of the largest buildings in Karakura Town.

It had the body of man, though it was nearly as large as Jidanbou. The green fur of its cape covered most of its body as well.

The hollow lifted the top half of its mask to look around the city.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya!" it bellowed. "Come out!"

It continued to scan the city.

"Arrrgh! Where is that boy?"

"Come and face me, Toshiro Hitsugaya! If you don't I'll reduce this city to rubble!"

A small voice answered, "there's no need for that."

The hollow turned around. A small boy with white hair and a sword on his back stood at the opposite end of the roof.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya," the hollow said, "at last."

"Grand Fisher," Toshiro responded, "I've been waiting for this."

He stepped forward. "You look different from last time."

The Grand Fisher laughed. "So you've noticed! I've become an Arrancar!"

"An Arrancar?" Toshiro asked. "What's that"

"Hehehe … When a hollow removes its mask, it gains the powers of a Shinigami!"

Toshiro stopped.

 _"He hid something in Rukia's body through her gigai, something I've been searching for. The key to removing the barrier between hollow and Shinigami. It's called the Hogyoku."_

" _A device which can break down the barriers between hollows and Shinigami, allowing each to take on the powers of the other."_

'So this is what they meant,' Tohiro realized.

"Did Aizen do this to you?" he asked.

"I do not know who this Aizen is," the Grand Fisher said. "I did what I had to to become stronger to destroy you!"

The Grand Fisher reached over his head and tore the top half of his mask off, shattering it.

Toshiro scowled as his opponent grew even larger, sporting giant horns from his shoulders.

"You are disgusting," the substitute Shinigami said.

"Now you see my true power!" the Grand Fisher declared.

The hollow reached behind its back and drew an enormous sword the size of a house.

"You have no chance, little Shinigami. The size of a zanpakuto is equal to one's reiatsu! It is obvious that little weapon hanging on your back could never defeat my zanpakuto!"

"Care to put that to the test?" Toshiro asked, seemingly unperturbed.

The Grand Fisher roared, swinging his zanpakuto down with all of his strength.

Toshiro caught it.

"No, impossible!" the Grand Fisher yelled.

Toshiro held the blade of house-sized sword in his bare hand.

"You aren't the only one who's changed. In the last month I've beaten foes ten times stronger than you."

The Grand Fisher attempted to his sword back, but Toshiro's grip was stronger.

Toshiro reached for his own zanpakuto with his other hand.

"Goodbye, and good riddance."

One swing was all it took to bring the Grand Fisher down.

Toshiro sheathed his sword and looked over his fallen foe. In a matter of seconds the Grand Fisher began to fade away as all hollows did when slain.

'I got him, Momo.'

" _Well, that was fun. Let's do that again."_

Toshiro's eyes widened and he collapsed to his knees.

'What's going on? Some kind of voice in my head?'

" _You never killed someone out of anger and hate before. You should have known that would make me stronger."_

'I-I recognize that voice!'

" _That's right. You know me, partner."_

"No!" Toshiro slammed his fist into the roof.

A foot appeared near his head.

"My, my. And here you were doing so well at keeping your reiatsu concealed. But now you're radiating so much a lot of hollows are going to be summoned to this town."

"You really need to get that hollow inside you under control."

Toshiro looked up. He saw what appeared to be a teenager with long blonde hair.

"I know you," he muttered. "You're from school."

The man standing over Toshiro smiled. "Shinji Hirako. And I've got a proposition for you, Toshiro Hitsugaya."


	26. Chapter 26

Shinji Hirako was already sitting at his desk when Toshiro arrived in class.

Toshiro approached Shinji's desk and glared at him. You've got some explaining to do."

Shinji grinned and put a finger to his mouth.

"Not now. During our next free period."

Uryu looked at them curiously over a book he was reading.

* * *

Toshiro opened the door to the roof, expecting to find Shinji waiting for him. But the blonde student was nowhere to be found.

Toshiro looked to and fro.

"Psst. Up above."

Toshiro looked up. Shinji was floating upside-down in mid-air. A sword was sheathed at his side.

"So what is this? Are you a Shinigami?"

"I was, a long time ago."

"An evasive answer," Toshiro said.

"I'd think you'd be a bit more grateful," Shinji said in a playful tone. "I could have laid this all on you last night, but you seemed to have a bit much on your plate then."

"What is this proposition?" Toshiro asked.

Shinji spun around slowly so that he was rightside-up and landed. "I'd like you to join us, Toshiro."

"And who is us?"

Shinji grinned and lifted his hand above his face. White energy gathered around his hand, forming a large white mask.

Toshiro reflexively stepped reached for his substitute Shinigami badge.

"I see you know what this is," Shinji said. "I have a zanpakuto and a hollow mask."

"But you're not an Arrancar like the Grand Fisher," Toshiro observed.

"No. Arrancar are hollows who have overcome their limits and gained the powers of a Shinigami. I am a Shinigami who has overcome his limits and gained the powers of a hollow.

"They call us Visoreds."

Toshrio gripped his substitute badge tightly. "Are you with Aizen?"

Shinji's brow curled in anger. "That son of a bitch? If there's one thing I can assure you, it's that we are not with Sosuke Aizen."

"Say I believe you," Toshiro asked, "what do you want with me?"

"You're one of us," Shinji said softly, lowering his mask over his face. "Yes. You have an inner hollow, too. You just haven't learned to control it yet."

 _"A hollow mask just happens to appear in the perfect place to prevent me from being sliced in half. Another me just happens to be in Hyorinmaru's world. And then that thing that briefly took over me when I was fighting Byakuya."_

"You know exactly what I mean," Shinji said. "Surely you've realized that you don't belong with them - "

Toshiro grabbed the front of Shinji's shirt.

"Don't _ever_ tell me where I belong."

Shinji gave him as serious look.

"It's already too late. Once the symptoms appear, Visoreds can never become normal again. No matter what you think, the die is cast. You're already on our side."

"Orihime, the big guy, Mr. four eyes, do you really think that they are all friends of yours? Only for the moment. Sooner or later the hollow will take over if you continue to be a Shinigami. And then you will destroy everything around you, including your so-called friends."

"You have no choice but to come with us, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Toshiro let go of Shinji's shirt. "No choice, huh? I'm afraid I'm not in a trusting mood right now."

"I can see that," Shinji said. "But soon you'll be desperate, and that's when you'll come to us."

He began to float into the sky again. "The message has been delivered. I'll see you soon, kid."

* * *

Toshiro didn't see Shinji or any other zanpakuto wielders for a week.

He, Chad, and Orihime continued their training regiment every day after school. They practiced several combination attacks, especially after Toshiro figured out how to use his zanpakuto's chain while in Bankai form.

One week after Toshiro's conversation with Shinji they began their training by having Chad attack barriers created by Toshiro and Orihime.

Chad's strength and stamina grew the more he used his power, and Orihime's shields were proving to be far more effective than her attack. Combined with Toshiro's ice walls they could create a multi-layered defense.

Chad blasted away the first layer of ice Toshiro made with his Shikai. Orihime's shield absorbed the remainder of the attack.

The three of them moved at the same time. Chad launched another attack as Orihime dropped her shield and Toshiro threw up another ice wall in its place.

The ice shattered again, revealing another orange energy shield behind it.

Toshiro looked at Orihime and nodded. "You're getting really good at putting those shields up quickly."

Orihime smiled. "Thanks."

Toshiro looked at Chad. "All right. Now let's try that again with my Bankai. I want to see how hard and thick I have to make the ice to block your attacks. Then we'll work on getting you to break through that – "

 **BOOM**

The entirety of Karakura town shook as something large struck the ground at the other end of the forest.

But what shook Toshiro, Chad and Orihime was the sudden heaviness of the air around them,

"This reiatsu!"

"I haven't felt anything like this since we were in the Soul Society!" Chad said.

They looked up. Souls were being drawn through the air to the epicenter of the earthquake.

"Are those-" Orihime began.

"They've already started killing people," Chad said in horror.

Toshiro gritted his teeth in anger as he gripped his sword.

* * *

Many people gathered around the smoking crater.

"Was that a meteorite?"

"I don't see anything."

The humans could not see the two figures in white emerging from the smoke.

The larger of the two had tan skin and was a mass of muscle. A white jawbone covered the lower part of his mostly bald face.

The smaller figure had skin almost as white as his uniform. He was slender, with messy black hair and part of a white bone mask covering the left side of his head and his left ear like a piece of a horned helmet.

"Uch," the large one said. "I came here a few times while I was masked. I see the world of the living hasn't changed at all. It's still as boring as ever."

"Stop complaining, Yammy," the smaller figure said. "I told you I could handle this on my own. You're the one who insisted on coming."

Yammy scowled and began to walk out of the crater. He stopped when he saw all the people gathered around the hole in the ground.

"What's with you people?" he demanded. "You'd better stop staring at me or I'll suck out your souls!"

He opened his mouth and drew in a deep breath. The humans began writhing in agony as their souls were violently ripped from their bodies. A few moments later they were dead.

Yammy continued to draw in breath, gathering souls from people beyond the park as well.

When he had devoured the souls of two hundred people, Yammy finally exhaled.

"Blech! What an awful taste!"

The other one came up behind him. "What did you expect, Yammy? Weak souls like those will always taste nasty."

"I only did it because they kept staring at us," Yammy said.

"Those people weren't looking at you. In fact, they couldn't see us at all."

"I don't care! So, how many people are we supposed to kill here anyway?"

"Only one," the smaller one said. "There is no need to kill anyone else."

Yammy laughed. "There are so many humans here and you only want to kill one?"

"That is correct. I have been told that there are only three people in this town with the power to fight us. It should be easy to find them. The rest are just trash."

He stopped as he heard someone struggling.

Tatsuki was lying at the edge of the forest, trying in vain to push herself off the ground.

"Surprising," the small one said. "There seems to be a survivor."

"What happened?" Tatsuki asked. She looked at the two figures as they approached. "And who are they?"

Yammy stood over her and grinned.

"I'm guessing that if my Gonzui didn't suck out your soul, then you must have a pretty tasty reiatsu!"

He turned to his friend. "Hey, Ulquiorra! Is she one?"

"Look closely, you idiot," Ulquiorra responded. "She's being crushed just by your standing next to her. She's trash."

Yammy looked down at Tatsuki in disgust. "So you're saying she just got lucky? Well then, her luck's run out."

Yammy raised his arm to crush Tatsuki.

There was a burst of wind as another figure appeared between Yammy and his prey. He was small and wore a black kimono. His white hair was ruffled from the flash step he had used to get there. And he pointed a sword longer than he was tall at Yammy.

'What's going on?' Tatsuki thought. 'Is that … little Toshiro from school?'

Toshiro examined the devastation around them. He had never seen so many dead bodies.

"Bankai."

There was another burst of wind as the ice wings wrapped themselves around Toshiro.

"A Bankai, huh?" Yammy said. "Hey, Ulquiorra! Is this the one?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra answered. "Considering how clumsily you've dealt with the situation, I'm surprised we were able to flush him out at all."

"The white hair, the winged Bankai. There is no doubt about it, Yammy. This is our target."

"Toshiro!"

Yammy and Ulquiorra turned to see two other people running towards them.

Orihime and Chad stopped behind Toshiro. Chad summoned his arm as Orihime bent down to help Tatsuki up.

Chad looked at the holes in Yammy's chest and Ulquiorra's neck. "What are they? Are they hollows?"

"They're Arrancar," Toshiro said. "Hollows who have removed their masks. But these are different from the last one I fought. They're more advanced, somehow."

"Orihime, get Tatsuki somewhere safe and start healing her," he said.

Orihime nodded. "Santen Kesshun."

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime as she summoned an orange shield to protect herself and Tatsuki.

"What about these two?" Yammy aksed. "You said there were three strong people in this town."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "These are not them. They are also trash."

"Trash?" Toshiro asked angrily. He glanced at Chad.

"Alley-oop?"

Chad nodded.

"Alley-what?" Yammy asked.

Toshiro threw the chain of his zanpakuto at Yammy. It wrapped around the hollow's arm, covering the limb in ice.

The young Shinigami then launched into the air, dragging Yammy behind him.

Ulquiorra watched calmly as Toshiro stopped high in the air and began to spin Yammy around at the end of the chain.

He glanced at Orihime, who had dragged Tatsuki behind a tree and had out her in a healing field.

'That's not a healing technique,' he realized as he watched the girl at work. 'It's something I've never seen before.'

A torrent of energy shot out of the top of Chad's shoulder as he began to charge up to full strength.

High above, Toshiro continued the spin at the center of a circle, dragging Yammy around the circumference.

"Whoa….oooo ….oooo….oooo!" the large Arrancar screamed, unable to stop his motion.

Toshiro threw Yammy down. The Arancar's arm, still attached to the chain through the ice, was ripped off by the force of the motion as he plummeted towards the ground at tremendous speeds.

Chad clenched his fist as Yammy plummeted towards him. He put everything he had into the punch he unleashed just before Yammy hit the ground, striking the Arrancar in the face.

Ulquiorra turned his attention back to his comrade as Yammy was knocked back, landing over a hunder meters away.

Yammy lay still as Toshiro landed near him. The boy watched as the Arrancar struggled to rise.

'He used the momentum of his throw to amplify the strength of his friend's attack several times over,' Ulquiorra realized as he saw the pieces of the remains of Yammy's mask break off. 'I'm not sure if Yammy had his hierro up or not, but that attack, which should have been nothing, managed to break Yammy's jaw thanks to the momentum he built up.'

He looked at Toshiro intently. 'That was a clever maneuver, and he also tore Yammy's arm off, not something I would have expected from someone who just learned Bankai.'

'His reiatsu is strong, but even with his tricks, he couldn't possibly pose a threat to Lord Aizen at this level of power.'

Yammy glared at Toshiro, but he could not say anything with his jaw broken.

Ulquiorra appeared behind him. "It seems you're having a hard time, Yammy. Shall I take over?"

Yammy's shook his head and reached with his remaining hand for the sword sheathed at his side.

"I can't believe you need to use your zanpakuto to deal with a runt like this," Ulquiorra said.

Toshiro assumed a battle stance.

"Why are you two here?" he demanded. "Did Aizen send you?"

"Lord Aizen did send us," Ulquiorra answered.

'Crap,' Toshiro thought. 'I thought we'd have a lot more time than this.'

He looked at Yammy, who was slowly drawing his sword. 'The Grand Fisher changed forms and became stronger when he drew his zanpakuto. Will these guys do the same?'

" _If they do, you can always let me take over."_

Toshiro suddenly hunched over, holding his left hand over his face.

'No. Not now.'

Chad and Orihime looked at Toshiro in shock as his reiatsu flared wildly.

Yammy also noticed something was up and resheathed his sword. He kicked Toshiro in the stomach, sending the boy flying.

Toshiro rolled onto his hands and knees. Yammy was on him before he could rise, punching him in the back of the head.

'I can't move!' Toshiro thought. 'The hollow – it's blocking me from moving my limbs!'

An orange force field appeared between Yammy and Toshiro. The Arrancar looked to the side to side Chad running at him, swinging his arm to launch another attack. Orihime was not far behind him.

Yammy caught Chad's arm mid-swing and threw the large teenager at Orihime, knocking her out.

"Orihime! Chad!" Toshiro screamed.

Ulquiorra grew more concerned even as he watched Yammy punch and kick Toshiro again and again

'Something strange is going on. His reiatsu keeps fluctuating. One second it's normal, and then it suddenly spikes. When its low it's inconsequential, but when it's high it's stronger than mine. What the hell is going on?'

Yammy threw Toshiro into a nearby tree, cracking it in two.

'If Yammy's jaw wasn't broken he could finish this in an instant with his cero,' Ulquiorra thought. With his bare hands this might take a while.'

Toshiro groaned in agony.

'One shot,' he thought. 'It's dangerous, but it's the only thing I can do without being able to move.'

Ulquiorra looked up as dark storm clouds gathered above them and snow began to fall. There was a rustling of wind as lightning streaked overhead.

"That's enough, Yammy!" he called out. "We're leaving."

The larger Arrancar looked at his partner in confusion.

Ulquiorra turned and gestured, opening a tear in space. "We've completed our mission. Now we must deliver our report to Lord Aizen."

Yammy gave Toshiro one last look of disgust before obeying. He walked over to Ulquiorra and stepped through the portal with him.

"We will tell our lord than the boy he was so interested in has no value whatsoever. Nor do his allies. None of them are even worth killing."

The portal closed behind the Arrancar, leaving Toshiro, Chad, and Orihime behind, all unable to move.


	27. Chapter 27

A half-dozen figures stood in the air high above the battlefield.

"Man, those guys got wrecked."

"What did you expect? Those were two of Aizen's most elite warriors."

"Hey, why don't we just grab the boy and be done with it? It's not like he can do anything to stop us now."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hyori. Kidnapping won't help us achieve our goals."

"So what should we do?"

"Hachi, can you heal them up a little? Just enough so they can move."

"Of course, but why not just heal them completely?"

"We've got a reputation to uphold. Can't have people thinking we're nice now."

* * *

Ulquiora and Yammy walked slowly as they entered the throne room. Two dozen pairs of eyes watched as they stopped before the marble throne.

Yammy dropped to one knee and bowed as Ulquiora spoke.

"We have returned, Lord Aizen."

"Welcome, Ulquiora and Yammy," Aizen said. "What have you to report? Show what you experienced in the world of the living, all of it."

"Yes, sir."

Ulquiora reached up and removed his own left eye. He held the eye out and crushed it in his hand.

"Here you are. See for yourselves."

A trail of energy spread out from the crushed eye, reaching all others gathered in the throne room. Aizen closed his eyes as he watched the events of the previous day play out.

"How curious. Kisuke Urahara did not make an appearance. How out of character for him," Aizen observed.

"I, too, expected Kisuke Urahara to make an appearance," Ulquiora said.

Aizen smiled. "It would appear that he and the boy are not on friendly terms at the moment."

"I see that you have decided he wasn't worth killing," he continued.

"Yes," Ulquiora replied. "The orders were to kill anyone who might be an obstacle, and we learned that there was no one."

"You're soft!" another Arrancar yelled.

Ulquiora turned to look at a blue-haired man sitting to his right.

"If it had been me, I'd have killed all three of them with the first strike," the man declared.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiora said calmly.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Grimmjow yelled. "If 'kill him' was part of the order, then obviously you and that oaf should have killed him, right?"

"I agree," a female voice said. "The boy has grown exponentially stronger since I fought him. I believe we should kill him now."

"You correctly grasp Lord Aizen's concern, Halibel," Ulquiora said. "That boy is no danger to us, yet."

"Explain yourself!" Grimmjow demanded.

"Lord Aizen isn't worried about what his current abilities are. It is his growth rate that is the problem, as Halibel said. As we learned, the boy has tremendous potential. Right now his powers are unstable, but if he does not self-destruct I believe he will prove useful to us in the future. That is why I let him live."

"Is that it?" Grimmjow sneered. "It looked to me like you were scared of a little thunder."

"Ulquiora is right," Aizen declared. "The boy will prove useful to us. The Soul Society looks to him as their savior. Kill him too soon and they will simply conclude they were wrong."

He looked at Halibel. "But if we wait for the right moment, when they have grown desperate and believe him to be their last hope, then the despair they will feel when he falls will crush their ability to stand against us."

Halibel closed her eyes and nodded in acknowledgement. Below, Grimmjow could barely contain his fury.

* * *

All eyes were on Toshiro as he entered the classroom. The bandages wrapped around his forehead stood out.

"What the heck happened to you?" someone asked.

"I got beat up," Toshiro said in a manner of fact manner.

He sat down at his desk and sighed.

He had thought that his human body would remain unaffected no matter what damage his Shinigami form took, but all of his injuries had transferred over when he returned to his body.

'I guess I know now why Rukia always healed me with kido every time I got hurt,' he thought.

Chad, Orihime, and Tatsuki had all taken off that day. He'd have to check on Chad and Orihime after school. He was not friends with

Tatsuki, and she had seemed more shaken by the previous day's events than hurt.

Toshiro looked up as he heard a commotion. The other students were pointing at the window in shock.

His eyes widened as he saw the figure standing in the window.

"Long time no see, Toshiro," Rukia Kuchiki said with a wide grin. "You look like hell."

* * *

"I'm glad to see you," Toshiro said as they walked home from school, "but what are you doing here?"

"I've been sent to assist you after the Arrancar attack," Rukia said.

"I see. Does that mean your powers are finally back?"

Rukia smiled. "They are."

"That's good, I guess."

Rukia looked at Toshiro curiously as they made their way to his house.

"I heard you killed the Grand Fisher."

"Yeah."

"So you got your vengeance."

"I did, but he's the least of our problems."

"That's true enough," she said.

* * *

Zilla would have cried if he could shed tears when he saw Rukia enter Toshiro's bedroom.

"Rukia!" he screamed. "You came back!"

Toshiro allowed himself a small smile as the diminutive stuffed lizard waddled over to hug Rukia's leg.

"I've got to be honest with you, Rukia. I don't see how you can help against those Arrancar I fought yesterday."

"That's fine," Rukia responded. "I didn't come alone."

"Yo!"

Toshiro looked up at the ceiling. Several people were coming in through the light fixture.

Renji Abarai, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and a woman Toshiro did not recognize dropped down from the ceiling.

Toshiro rubbed his forehead. "Are doors too subtle?"

"Now that's no way to greet your guests," the woman said. She had light red-orange hair, a large chest, and seemed to be the oldest person there. "I'm hoping we'll have fun here."

"Fun?" Toshiro asked. "Dozens of people were killed yesterday and you're worried about having fun?"

"Don't mind Rangiku. She likes to tease people, but when it comes to battle she's as serious as they come," a mature male voice said. Everyone turned to see a man with long, white hair sitting in the windowsill.

"Ukitake," Toshiro said.

The Twelve Squad Captain smiled and waved. "Hi there! It's good to see you again, Toshiro."

Toshiro took a deep breath and sat down on the floor. "The Soul Society must be serious if they sent a captain to the world of the living with a group of seated officers."

"I'm afraid the situation is quite serious," Ukitake said. "I want to ask you about the Arrancar you fought yesterday. What did they look like?"

"They looked like people. One was big, a lot bigger than Chad. The other was like a normal man, just with white skin. And I think he was a lot stronger than the big one."

Ukitake looked at him with a grave expression. "Then this is our worst fear come to past. Aizen has turned Menos Grande into Arrancar."

"Menos?" Toshiro asked in shock.

Ukitake nodded. "While any hollow can become an Arrancar, the power they gain from the transformation would not be enough to threaten a captain or lieutenant. You yourself saw this when you faced the Grand Fisher. But when dealing with something as powerful as a Menos, there's no telling what could happen."

"That skyscraper-sized hollow became man-sized just by taking off its mask?" Toshiro asked.

Ukitake shook his head. "I'm afraid its much worse than that. What you are referring to is the Gillian, the lowest form of Menos Grande. There are many of them in Hueco Mundo. They are created when many hollows are merged into one. The Gillian are powerful, but they are slow and lack intelligence, lashing out on instinct."

"When one personality begins to become dominant over the others, a Gillian may evolve into another form, the Adjuchas. These are far smaller than the Gillian, and they are both intelligent and powerful. Adjuchas often command legions of Gillian.

"There is one final form of the Menos Grande, the Vasto Lordes. They are rare, and they are the size of a man, but they are by far the most dangerous. It is said that the Vasto Lordes are even more powerful than the Shinigami captains."

A lump formed in Toshiro's throat.

"From your description," Ukitake continued, "it would seem that you encountered one Adjuchas, and one Vasto Lordes."

Toshiro took a deep breath to keep himself calm. "What does that mean?"

"I'll be honest with you. With Azien's betrayal we're down to ten captains. If Aizen has more than ten Vasto Lordes under his command, the Soul Society is doomed."

The Shinigami looked at each other nervously. Even Rangiku had a serious expression.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Toshiro gaped as Ukitake began to take various candies and snacks out of his sleeves. "These are for you. I picked up some interesting sweets at a local store earlier today."

"This again?" Toshiro asked incredulously as Ukitake filled his arms with the snacks. He looked at Rukia for help, but saw that she had covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile

He looked at the other Shinigami. Rangiku was chuckling softly. Even Renji and Ikkaku seemed to be in slightly better spirits than they had been a minute earlier.

Toshiro sighed. "Thank you, Captain Ukitake."

"Call me Jushiro," Ukitake said with a wide smile. "After all, we're both Shiros!"

The captain looked at his subordinates. "All right. We've intruded on Toshiro's hospitality long enough. It's time we all found a place to sleep until our mission is done."

"Aww, why can't we stay here, Captain Ukitake?" Rangiku whined.

 _"You,_ especially, cannot stay with young men."

"Aww, you're so mean!"

Toshiro turned to Rukia.

"Think you can help me take some of this to Orihime's place? I meant to check on her and Chad later, and she'd be thrilled to save you."

"Sure," Rukia said. "And maybe she'd agree to let Lieutenant Matsumoto stay with her."

* * *

Orihime practically leapt on Rukia when she opened the door.

"It's good to see you too," Rukia said, dropping the snacks to return the one-handed hug.

Toshiro grimaced as he saw Orihime's arm in a sling. He thought she'd have been the worst off of those who fought the Arrancar, but it was still a shock to see the extent of her injuries.

"What are you doing here?" Orihime asked.

"The Soul Society sent us to help you fight the Arrancar."

"Us?"

Orihime looked past Rukia to see the woman standing behind her.

"Hi, I'm Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto! Rukia said I could stay here with you!"

"Oh … sure, I guess?" Orihime said as Rangiku stepped forward.

The lieutenant stopped next to Toshiro and looked down at him.

She reached out her hand and pinched his cheek.

"You know, you really should smile more, kid. I swear, you've had the same stupid frown the whole day!"

Orihime giggled at that, but Toshiro did not care.

"You know I can kill you, right?" he asked Rangiku.

"Oh sure. But you won't. That wouldn't be heroic."

She let go of Toshiro's cheek and entered Orihime's house. Toshiro rubbed his now sore cheek.

"I don't like her," he said to Rukia.

Rukia smiled. "Don't be so quick to judge. I seem to recall you didn't like me very much when we first met."

They said their goodbyes to Orihime and went on their way.

Toshiro turned to Rukia and looked at her with an even more serious expression than the one Rangiku had criticized.

"I need to ask you something, but it has to stay between us."

"Sure."

"I mean it. You can't tell anyone else. Not Renji, not even your captain. I told know what the Shinigami would do if they got word of this."

Rukia looked troubled, but nodded.

"What is it?"

"Have you heard of a group called the Visoreds?"

"No. I've never heard of them."

Toshiro was disappointed, but not surprised.

"They're a group of former Shinigami who gained hollow powers."

"Like you?"

That surprised Toshiro.

"My brother informed the other captains of what happened in your fight after he was sure the Head Captain was serious about not executing you, and Captain Ukitake thought I should know before going on this mission."

"I see," Toshiro said. He looked ahead. "One of these Visoreds approached me and tried to get me to join them."

"Sounds like something you should speak with Urahara about."

"No," he spat. "I am not dealing with Urahara again. Do you know what he did to us?"

Rukia looked to the side uncomfortably. "I've been piecing it together. Who was it that approached you?"

"Someone named Shinji Hirako."

Rukia stopped.

Toshiro turned around. He saw that Rukia's eyes had widened in shock.

"Say that name again," she said.

"Shinji Hirako. You know him?"

Rukia shook her head. "We've never met. But I know of him. He's the former Captain of Squad Five."

Toshiro\s brow furrowed in thought.

"Isn't that the squad Aizen led?"

"Aizen was his lieutenant when he was captain."

They began walking again.

"Sounds like there's a story there."

"Something happened a hundred years ago. The details are classified, so I don't know the whole story myself, but a whole bunch of captains and lieutenants disappeared at the same time, including Captain Hirako."

 _"A hundred years ago, we made a decision similar to the one you made when you came here."_

"Were Urahara and Yoruichi involved in that?"

"Those two disappeared at the same time. Central 46 blamed Urahara for the whole thing. They said he carried out illegal experiments on his fellow Shinigami, though the nature of the experiments was kept classified. The rumor is that Yoruichi broke him out of prison and that's why she went on the run as well."

"If Urahara was the one who was accused of a crime, why did the others have to flee as well?"

"I don't know. But for the last century there has been a standing order to execute Shinji Hirako and all other victims of the experiments on sight. There hasn't been an order like that against Urahara. Central 46 seemed satisfied with him being banished from the Soul Society."

Toshiro shook his head. "Your government is really messed up."

"The experiments were obviously to give them hollow powers. I wouldn't put it past Urahara, but I doubt it. He was a captain himself and he wouldn't be stupid enough to risk his position by doing that to a bunch of captains and lieutenants. His experiments with merging Shinigami and hollows probably made him easy to frame.'"

"For Aizen's crimes," Rukia added.

"Exactly. And by getting his captain out of the way he'd secure his own promotion."

He put his hand on his chin in thought.

"Toshiro, you're not seriously thinking of seeking these people out?"

"Why not? You heard Ukitake. If these Vasto Lorde have gained the powers of a Shinigami and are stronger than captains, then a group of captains who have gained the powers of a hollow should be the perfect way to even the odds."

"That may be, but it's been a hundred years. There's no telling what their motivations are now."

"There's something else," he said. "The reason I lost yesterday is because of that hollow inside me."

Rukia stopped and stared at him in worry.

"I need to get this thing under control if I'm going to be of any use – "

He stopped. Both of them looked up at the sky.

A wave of pressure had passed through them, making the air feel heavy.

"The Arrancar," Rukia said. "They're here."


	28. Chapter 28

Rukia quickly took out her phone.

"There's six of them," she said.

Toshiro reached for his substitute badge. "Yesterday there were only two."

"Yesterday there were no ranked Shinigami officers either."

"So, it's escalation again," Toshiro said as he transformed into his Shinigami form.

"They're splitting up," Rukia said as she examined the signals on her phone.

"Any of them coming here?"

"No," Rukia said in confusion. There seemed to be no logic in the enemy's movements.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"All the Shinigami are keeping their reiatsu hidden, so the Arrancar are going after humans with strong spirit energy!"

"That means they're going after Chad and Orihime!"

* * *

Chad ran out of his house into the street.

'This is bad,' he thought. 'There's so many of them, and I'm not fully recovered from yesterday.'

He braced himself as two figures appeared in front of him, but relaxed when he saw their black kimonos.

"We made it in time," Toshiro said in relief.

"It's a good thing we were already on the way here," Rukia replied.

"You're back," Chad observed.

"We don't have time to catch up right now," Rukia said. She and Toshiro turned around and drew their swords.

"It's my lucky day," a high-pitched male voice said. "Two little Shinigami and a big human. A whole bunch of weaklings to kill."

The newcomer approached. He wore the same white outfit as Ulquiora. His skin appeared normal compared to the Arrancar Toshiro and Chad had faced before, but his mask was more prominent than theirs had been and was shaped like the head of a hammerhead shark. He wore it on his head like a large hat.

The Arrancar leered. His teeth were also shaped like those of a predatory shark.

"Why don't you all come at me at once?"

Toshiro looked at Chad. "Are you up for another fight after yesterday?"

Chad summoned his arm and clenched his fist. "Of course."

"Could the two of you do me a favor," Rukia asked, "and leave this to me?"

Toshiro and Chad looked at her in surprise.

"It's been far too long since I fought. I could use the chance to stretch my legs."

Toshiro continued to look at Rukia in surprise.

'I never realized that Rukia liked fighting,' he thought. 'I guess she's more like other Shinigami than I thought.'

He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses. Ukitake and Rangiku were at Orihime's house protecting her, and none of the Arrancar had approached Toshiro's house or Uryu's.

"All right," he said after he determined there was no need to rush to his other friends and family.

"So it's ladies first?" the Arrancar asked. "Fine by me!"

He launched himself at Rukia, attempting to impale her with his hand. Rukia raised her blade to block and was pushed back five meters.

Rukia leapt back, using a lamp post to launch herself back at her opponent. She raised her blade over her head and swung downward, only for the Arrancar to block it with his forearm.

"Rukia!" Toshiro yelled. He leaned forward, preparing to flash step over to her, but Chad put a hand on his should to stop him.

Toshiro looked up at the large teenager. "What are you doing?"

"This is a battle of pride," Chad explained. "Rukia's fighting to prove something, just like you were in the Soul Society. She'd be hurt a lot worse if you interfered."

Toshiro grimaced and looked back at the fight. "Dammit."

"Now you know how we all felt when you fought Renji alone."

The Arrancar pushed Rukia back again and continued to leer.

"I'm Arrancar 15, D Roy."

Rukia assumed her battle stance again. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki of Squad-

"Who cares?" D Roy spat, cutting her off. "If I had to listen to the names and titles of everyone I was about to kill, I'd never get anything done."

Rukia scowled. "I see. Well, D Roy, if you don't care to learn my name, you should at least learn the name of my zanpakuto."

She held her sword to the right at a ninety degree angle.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

Rukia turned her sword counter-clockwise as its hilt and blade turned completely white. A long cloth extended from the end of the hilt.

D Roy looked apprehensive as Rukia bent her knees and pointed her released zanpakuto at him.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" she yelled.

A white circle appeared on the ground around D Roy's feet. Ice began to crawl up his legs to envelop his body.

"What the hell is this?" D Roy muttered.

When the ice reached his waist shattered it with a yell and leapt into the air.

"Hahaha!" he laughed in triumph as he hovered in the air.

"Tough luck for you, Shinigami!" he gloated. "The sky is my domain! It's where my true strength lies! A sword that can freeze the ground is worthless up here!"

Rukia stood up as the circle on the ground began to glow. "Who said my zanpakuto only freezes the ground?"

"What?" D Roy asked. Before he could say another word, a pillar of ice shot up from the circle, engulfing him and reaching the heavens in an instant.

"Everything within this circle, both earth and sky, are within Sode no Shirayuki's frozen domain!" Rukia declared as the pillar shattered and disappeared.

Above, what remained of D Roy's body disappeared in the manner of all defeated hollows.

Toshiro and Chad approached Rukia once the battle was over.

"So you've also got an ice-type zanpakuto," Toshiro observed. "That makes a lot of sense."

Rukia grinned at him. "My Sode no Shirayuki is considered the most beautiful zanpakuto in the whole Soul Society."

She took out her phone again. "All right. Let's see if any of the others need our-"

She stopped as a shockwave seemed to pass through them. The air became heavy and she felt her knees buckle. Even Chad, who had stood up to the reiatsus of Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki, was forced to lean forward as if bowing to the source of this reiatsu.

"What the hell happened here? D Roy's been killed? Oh well, in that case it looks like I'll have to kill the three of you!"

They looked up to see another Arrancar floating above them. He was tall and muscular, with spiky blue hair and blue eyes. The right jawbone of a hollow mask remained on his face.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Arrancar Six, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

'This reiatsu,' Rukia thought. 'He's an Arrancar like the last one, but that guy was arrogant and inexperienced, and he paid the price. This one's power is incredible!'

Toshiro drew his blade.

"Bankai!"

Rukia gaped as Toshiro powered up. She had not gotten a good look at his Bankai form before, as Aizen had knocked him out of in under a second back on the Sokyoku Hill.

'Toshiro's Bankai really is magnificent. Between the two of them I can't tell who's reiatsu is stronger!'

Grimmjow lowered himself to the ground and grinned at Toshiro. "I guess you're the strongest, then."

He looked at Rukia and disappeared.

Toshiro reacted on instinct. He launched himself in front of Rukia, folding his right wing over his shoulder to strike the Arrancar with it, knocking him across the street and through the wall of a nearby house.

'I couldn't even see him move,' Rukia thought in a panic. 'If Toshiro hadn't been there he'd have killed me!'

'Why did he attack me?' she wondered. 'Does he know I killed D Roy, or was he just trying to pick off the weakest opponent here?'

Grimmjow emerged from the broken wall without a scratch on him.

"That's some decent speed you've got there, kid. But your attacks are going to need a lot more stopping power if you want to beat me."

Toshiro leapt up, taking to the sky. As he hoped, Grimmjow followed him, leaving .

Grimmjow closed his fist and attempted to punch Toshiro, who blocked the blow with his blade.

The impact produced a sound like thunder and a wind which knocked Rukia down. Chad bent down to help her up.

"Are you all right?" Chad asked.

Rukia did not answer. Instead she looked up in horror at the battle above as Grimmjow blocked a strike from Toshiro with his arm, producing another thunderclap.

'I've never actually seen a battle between two captain class warriors before. There's literally nothing I can do.'

Toshiro broke off and backed up. Grimmjow continued to grin at him.

"What's the matter? Is that all you've got?"

Toshiro raised his sword.

"Guncho Tsurara!"

Two dozen small spikes of ice appeared before Toshiro and launched themselves at Grimmjow.

The Arrancar kicked his legs out, breaking all of the spikes in quick succession with his legs.

He looked up to see Toshiro bearing down on him while summoning a great winged ice dragon.

The dragon swallowed Grimmjow whole, enveloping him in ice.

Toshiro gritted his teeth in frustration as Grimmjow broke out of the ice, immerging without so much as a scratch on him.

"Hmph," Grimmjow complained. "Looks like this is going to get boring pretty quickly."

Launched at Toshiro, aiming a powerful kick at the boy's head. Toshiro dropped back and allowed himself to fall to avoid the attack. He spun and righted himself, rising as fast as he could and coming up behind Grimmjow.

"Hyoryo Senbi!"

Grimmjow looked surprised as the crescent of spiky ice bore down on him from behind.

There was a flash of light as the ice shattered, causing Toshiro to squint. When the light faded he saw that Grimmjow was holding his sword behind him precisely where Toshiro's attack would have struck.

"So you got me to draw my zanpakuto. Guess you're a little tougher than I thought."

'Dammit,' Toshiro thought. 'I can fly instead of walking on air like he does, but that extra maneuverability won't do me any good if I can't hit him!'

Grimmjow's white jacket rustled in the wind, and Toshiro saw the number six tattooed on his lower back.

"What's that?" Toshiro asked.

"What? My tattoo?"

"You said you're the sixth Arrancar. Does that mean you're the sixth most powerful?"

Grimmjow bared his teeth in a wide grin. "That's right, boy. I am one of Lord Aizen's ten greatest warriors, the Espada. We are the most powerful hollows in existence."

"Are you a Vasto Lordes?"

"You know about them, do you? Sorry to disappoint you, but I was an Adjuchas when I was turned into an Arrancar. But don't worry, I'm still powerful as any Vasto Lorde!"

Grimmjow spun around, slashing his zapakuto with amazing speed and ferocity,

Toshiro barely blocked the blow, but before he could react Grimmjow slashed out with a spin-kick, striking the boy in the side.

The force of the blow sent Toshiro spinning towards the ground. He was unable to regain control over his momentum before he struck the ground at several hundred miles an hour.

The impact shook every building within a mile radius.

"Toshiro!" Rukia screamed, holding on to Chad to stay on her feet.

'After all these months I've finally got my powers back,' she thought, 'but I'm still as helpless as ever!'

Lying in the center of a large impact crater, Toshiro struggled to rise. He coughed up blood from several internal injuries.

"Come on," Grimmjow said, hovering above him. "Don't tell me one kick was all it took to take you down."

He sheathed his sword. "Maybe Ulquiora was right. Maybe you're really not worth killing."

Toshiro finally stood up, breathing heavily.

"At least you'll die on your feet," Grimmjow scoffed. He launched himself at Toshiro one more time.

Toshiro thrust his blade forward, releasing a bolt of lightning from the tip.

The bolt struck Grimmjow head-on, making him scream in pain and stop in mid-air.

For several seconds Grimmjow stood completely still, his mouth wide open in silent pain and shock. His white clothes were blackened in places and numerous burns covered his body.

Regaining his composure, Grimmjow looked down at Toshiro and grinned.

"Now that's more like it. Ulquiora didn't mention an attack like that in his report, Shinigami. Not a word."

Below, Toshiro was still breathing heavily.

"Didn't even … knock him out … of the sky …"

" _How about you let me take a spin? This guy's obviously too much for you."_

'Maybe I should,' Toshiro thought. 'I don't think I can fly anymore with these injuries, and he's even stronger than Byakuya was. There's no other way to protect Chad and Rukia.'

"All right," he said to himself. "You want him, then take him."

Toshiro's sword hand suddenly froze. He hunched over, clutching the side of his face with his free hand.

"No. I was giving you control. Why are you doing this?"

Above, Grimmjow looked confused.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?"

Toshiro still could not move.

'I don't understand. If I die then he dies too. So why won't he let me move?'

"All right," Grimmjow said, "I guess I'll just finish this now."

He reached for his sword again.

"Time to die, Shiniga-"

He stopped as a figure appeared behind him.

Grimmjow turned around in fear.

"Tousen!"

"Put your sword away, Grimmjow," the former Spuad Nine Captain commanded.

"You invaded the world of the living on your won, and you took five Arrancar without permission," Tousen said in an accusing tone. "Then you lost them in battle!"

"You disobeyed orders. Lord Aizen is quite upset with you, Grimmjow."

Tousen gestured and opened a portal behind Grimmjow.

"Come. Your punishment for these acts will be decided in Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

The two disappeared into the portal.

Toshiro collapsed to the ground, his wings shattering.

"Toshiro!" Rukia and Chad oth yelled as they ran over to him.

Rukia knelt next to him. "I'm sorry. I was so busy showing off, but when the real enemy arrived, I couldn't do a thing."

"You're both ok," Toshiro replied with a strained voice. "That's all that matters."

He looked at his sword hand, which was still shaking.

'What was that?'


	29. Chapter 29

Toshiro took Zilla out of his backpack and pulled the mod soul candy out of the doll.

He swallowed the candy and reverted to his Shinigami form.

"I'm counting on you," he told the artificial soul that now occupied his real body. "No funny business while I'm away. And you'd better not let my grades slip."

"I can help with that," Rukia said. "Memory magic can be very useful."

"I don't understand," Orihime asked. "Why do you have to go away?"

Toshiro looked at those who had gathered with him on the school roof, Zilla, Rukia, Orihime, and Chad.

"It's become clear that I need to do something about this hollow Urahara put in me. It's also become clear that we can't beat the Arrancar alone. I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone."

"How long will you be gone?" Chad asked.

"I have no idea. I just know I can't win if I don't figure this out."

"But I assure you," he declared, "if the enemy attacks again, nothing will keep me from coming back to protect you all."

With that, he leapt away.

The others watched as Toshiro's figure became smaller and smaller in the distance.

"So what do we do now?" Orihime asked. "We were spending all that time training with Toshiro, and now he's gone."

"Would you like to train with me?" Rukia asked. "I can't take Toshiro's place, but my zanpakuto is also an ice-type, so I think we should be able to pick off where you left off pretty easily."

"Rukia … " Orihime said softly.

Rukia looked down sadly. "And who knows? It might actually be better to train with someone closer to your own levels of strength."

"Are you still upset about last night?" Chad asked.

She sighed. "I hate to admit it, but I was jealous of Toshiro."

"Jealous?" Orihime asked. "Why?"

"I've always been very proud of my zanpakuto. Sode no Shirayuki is widely known as the most beautiful zanpakuto in the Soul Society, and it is as powerful as it is beautiful.

"But after you left the Soul Society, all anyone in the Sereitei could talk about was the heavenly guardian and his zanpakuto. Everywhere around me I heard talk of how beautiful Hyorinmaru was, and how it was the most powerful ice-type zanpakuto.

"I guess I felt upstaged, and by a child at that. So when my powers returned and I got this assignment, I jumped at the chance to show off, to prove to Toshiro that my Sode no Shirayuki is equal to his Hyorinmaru. That's why I insisted on fighting D Roy alone.

Rukia shook her head and smiled sadly. "But when the real enemy appeared, I was shown just how wrong I was."

"Everyone was shocked when we saw how powerful Hyorinmaru was, including Toshiro," Chad said. "In fact, he was terrified of what it could do."

"That's one way in which he's different from all other Shinigami," Rukia said. "The obsession with getting stronger is not restricted to Squad Eleven."

She sighed. "I'm pathetic. Getting jealous and needing to prove myself against a child."

"That's not so uncommon," Orihime said. "A lot of people in our grade have been jealous of Toshiro getting better grades despite being so much younger than them. That's why he used to get beat up a lot."

"Now I'm being compared to school bullies," Rukia complained. "I've sure fallen from my days as a respected Shinigami."

"I think it's clear that we all need to get stronger," Chad said. "None of us can stand up to these Espada that Grimmjow mentioned."

Rukia nodded, her expression growing serious.

She had informed Captain Ukitake of what Grimmjow had said about the Espada. The fact that Aizen clearly did not have ten Vasto Lordes should have been good news, but the fact that an Adjuchas like Grimmjow could be so powerful was beyond disturbing. The other Arrancar had released their zanpakutos and transformed while battling the other Shinigami. Grimmjow did not do so and still defeated Toshiro.

Rukia knew full well what that meant. The sixth Espada was even more powerful than more brother, Byakuya. And the five Espada above him were even more powerful than that.

When she thought about it, she agreed with Toshiro that they needed more help, help which the Visoreds could provide in theory. But she was not certain at all that they could be trusted, or how her captain would react to hearing Toshiro's plan, let alone the other captains, who were far less understanding in general.

Zilla could possibly fool Toshiro's classmates and teachers, but she'd have to come up with an explanation for where the boy had gone that would satisfy Ukitake.

"So we're in agreement?" she asked. "The three of us will train together, and pick up where Toshiro left off?"

Chad nodded, and Orihime said "all right!"

* * *

Toshiro stopped flash-stepping when he entered the most rundown section of Karakura town.

'They're somewhere around here,' he thought. 'They're suppressing their reiatsus, but not hiding them completely. Not surprising. Shinji did say they were expecting me to come to them."

Following the reiatsus, Toshiro came to an old, dilapidated warehouse.

"Sure is a long way from the cushy captain's quarters," he said to himself as he entered the building.

He heard a creaking noise as the warehouse's shutter closed behind him.

"How creepy," he said nonchalantly.

"Good job finding this place, Toshiro," Shinji said.

Toshiro looked up. The warehouse had multiple floors, but much of them had been destroyed, allowing those on the ground level to see and talk to those on the top floor.

Toshiro took note of the other seven people scattered along the other levels.

"Does this mean you've finally decided to join us?" Shinji asked.

"No," Toshiro declared.

"No?" Shinji asked, taken aback.

Toshiro grinned at him. "Actually, I was hoping you would join me instead, Captain Hirako."

Shinji gritted his teeth in annoyance, but then grinned back. "So you've done your homework. But aren't you forgetting something? That inner hollow of yours isn't going away, you know."

"Actually, that seems like a minor concern at the moment," Toshiro said. "Seems he doesn't want to come out and play."

"Doesn't want to come out?" Shinji asked in surprise.

'How can that be? A hollow is driven by its desire to consume. There's no way any hollow would be content to just sit inside this kid.'

"The reason I'm here," Toshiro continued, "is because I thought the former captain of Squad Five might want revenge against Aizen."

'He's got to be bluffing,' Shinji thought. 'But at the same time, I thought he'd be too focused on getting his inner hollow under control to be thinking this many steps ahead.'

'Just who is this kid?'

"Am I wrong, Shinji?"

On the floor below Shinji, a small girl spat in annoyance. She leapt down to Toshiro's level.

Toshiro eyed the girl carefully. She had short blonde hair tied in spiky pigtails. She wore a red track suit over a white shirt. A long fang protruded from her upper lip.

Despite not wearing a Shinigami kimono, she carried what was clearly a zanpakuto at her waist.

"What do you think you're doing, Hyori?" Shinji asked.

"This kid's annoying me," she answered. "I'm going to teach him some manners."

"Hachi, add on another five more force fields," she called out.

A large pink-haired man answered her. "Yes, as you wish."

Hyori pointed her finger at Toshiro. "You've got a lot of nerve, coming in here and acting like you know everything about us. Let me tell you something: you've got the wrong idea about this."

Toshiro took note of the way her reiatsu rose. "And where was I mistaken?"

She grinned. "It's true that we've been playing around with the idea of letting you become one of our comrades. The problem is, it's not you're choice. You're not the one who makes the decision."

"That doesn't sound like you want a comrade," Toshiro said. "It sounds like you want a servant."

"Now that sounds like a good idea. The bottom line is, you lost all choice the moment you walked through that door. The choice of whether you join us or not is completely up to us. We look at your power, and after we determine your strength, we decide whether we want you or not."

Hyori's face contorted in rage and she pointed at Toshiro again.

"So don't act like you own the place! You don't have any choice in the matter, do you understand? If you're powerful, we'll let you join us and show you what it means to be a Visored. We'll even teach you how to control your hollow.

"But if you're weak then you can forget it! We'll leave you to become a hollow, and eventually you'll die a pathetic death!"

She turned around.

"Now, if you get the picture, let your inner hollow out. Let's see how powerful you all."

"I already told you," Toshiro said, "he doesn't want to come out and play."

She turned her head to look at him. "Are you serious? Let me make this clear to you. Either you prove your strength right now, or you die."

"Pretty big talk coming from someone who's even shorter than I am," Toshiro said, deliberately taunting her.

"What did you say, you little maggot?"

Hyori began to glow pink.

'There we go,' Toshiro thought. 'She's bringing out her inner hollow.'

A hollow mask formed on the side of Hyori's face and she turned back to him, grinning from ear to ear.

"If you're just too much of a wimp to hollowfy, then it appears I'll have to go to Plan B. One way or another I'll get it. I'll drag your hollow out, even if I have to end up beating it out of you."

The other Visoreds looked at her in shock.

"Don't be impulsive!" one called out.

"Think about what you're doing!" another one said.

Toshiro reached behind his back and drew his blade. "If you want to fight, then fine. But maybe you should consider who you're fighting first."

A muscular man with light-grey hair approached Shinji.

"This is getting out of hand. We should stop this."

"It's a bit late for that, Kensei."

Hyori pulled the hollow mask over her face.

Toshiro's eyes narrowed.

'There's the reiatsu increase of her hollowification.'

Hyori's voice became slightly distorted by the mask.

"You'd better hollowfy as well. If you don't, I'll kill you."

Hyori disappeared and reappeared right in front of Toshiro, extending her palm at his midsection.

Toshiro leapt back and crouched against the wall of the warehouse.

'Her speed and power have both increased,' he thought.

Hyori drew her zanpakuto and swung it at Toshiro, who dodged by leaping to the next wall.

"What's the matter?" she yelled. "Fight back!"

'Her reiatsu's risen significantly since she put the mask on, but it's not as big a difference as the time my hollow took over my body.'

Toshiro raised his blade to block her next attack, letting the impact push him away from her.

'It must require a large amount of energy to control her inner hollow. That limits how much power she can draw compared to if she just let the hollow loose.'

Hyori growled in frustration and swiped at Toshiro's head, making him duck.

'And if it drains her energy, that means it must be a temporary power-up, just like my Bankai.'

As Hyori took another swing at him, Toshiro summoned his zanpakuto's chain and threw it forward. The chain wrapped around Hyori's zanpakuto several times.

"What?" she said in shock.

Toshiro pulled on the chain, drawing her in close. He grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground.

Hyori crashed into a pile of wooden boxes on the ground floor.

"Is that it?" Toshiro asked. "This is disappointing on multiple levels."

He looked at the other Visoreds. "I came here because I thought captain-level Shinigami with hollow powers would be valuable allies against the Arrancar. And this is the extent of your power after you said you'd kill me? I thought you'd be stronger than captains without hollow powers."

"Or were captains just that much weaker a hundred years ago?"

Hyori rose from among the boxes, shaking with rage.

"That's it! Now you die!"

Shinji flash-stepped between them. "All right, that's enough!"

"Out of my way, Shinji!" Hyori yelled. "I'm gonna rip his lungs out!"

"And just how do you plan on doing that, Hyori? You wanted to test his strength, and he beat you without using his Shikai."

Shinji looked at Toshiro. "You've made your point, kid. And you passed the test. We'll teach you how to control your inner hollow."

"That is, if you are still interested."

Toshiro sheathed his sword. "I am. I'd really like to know why it wouldn't take over even when I was willing to let it."

Shinji put his hand on his chin. "That is interesting. I've never heard of a hollow refusing a free lunch before."

"I suppose you'd better ask it."

"Ask it?"

Shinji grinned creepily and raised his hand up in front of Toshiro's face. The hand began to glow with a white energy.

"Nighty night."

Toshiro could not move. He felt his consciousness slipping away.

The world turned black, and he fell onto a hard surface.

Toshiro rose, realizing that he was on the icy plain of his inner world.

He looked around. Hyorinmaru should have been nearby, but the enormous dragon was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a single white figure could be seen far in the distance, slowly walking closer.

Toshiro frowned and reached for the zanpakuto on his back. He had seen this figure once before, during his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki.

The white figure stopped thirty feet from Toshir and grinned.

"Hello again, _partner,"_ the other Toshiro said.


	30. Chapter 30

The Visoreds picked Toshiro's unconscious body up.

Hachi clapped his hands together, causing a section of the floor to rise up and reveal a staircase leading underground.

'Can you hear me, Toshiro?' Shnji though as the descended far below the ground level. 'In a few moments you're going to fully transform into a hollow. Don't let it consume you. Consume it instead. If it devours you, it's all over.'

They exited the staircase and entered a vast, rocky expanse just like the one under Urahara's shop.

They set Toshiro down in the center of a flat section of the terrain. Hachi summoned a kido barrier kido barrier around Toshiro, as well as five stone pillars to keep the boy's body pinned down.

* * *

Standing in his inner world, Toshiro faced down his doppelganger.

"What's the matter?" the other Toshiro asked. "Why do you look so glum?"

Toshiro's eyes slowly scanned the barren landscape. It was just the to of them there.

"Is there a reason Hyorinmaru's not here?" he asked. "Is this another test, like when I fought Kenpachi?"

"Who knows?" the doppelganger replied. "All I know is, this time, there's no one around to stop me from killing you."

Toshiro looked behind him. He carried a zanpakuto on his back. He could tell by the comfort of its weight that it was the blade of Hyorinmaru.

"Tell me something,' the doppelganger asked, "did you enjoy humiliating that little girl? Was it cathartic, after losing twice in a row to the Arrancar?"

"You know it wasn't," Toshiro responded. "You know full well that I don't like fighting. I needed the Visoreds to respect me."

"And as former Shinigami, what they respect is strength," the other Toshiro finished. "You're lucky it wasn't one of the former captains who took you on. You'd never have beaten one of them."

"What makes you so sure I couldn't beat them?"

The doppelganger smiled. "What are you here for?"

"I suppose, I'm here to figure out what it is you want."

"Well, that's simple enough. I want death and destruction! I want to wreak as much havoc as I can using your body!"

"Then why didn't you?"

The doppelganger looked at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?"

"I was willing to let you take control, and instead you just froze me up."

"You think you were letting me take control, but in fact you only did that once."

It was Toshiro's turn to look confused.

'Is he saying, that time with Byakuya, I was responsible for him taking over then?'

The doppelganger reached behind his back and drew a zanpakuto. Toshiro's eyes narrowed as he saw that the sword was an exact replica of his Hyorinmaru.

Toshiro reached back and drew his own weapon.

'It looks like we start fighting now. At least this time I've got Hyorinmaru from the start, so we're evenly matched.'

The other Toshiro grinned. "You think that since we've both got the same sword, we're evenly matched, don't you? Well, YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG!"

Toshiro raised his blade, just barely blocking the first powerful blow from the doppelganger.

* * *

The Visoreds felt a surge of reiatsu from Toshiro's body. The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently.

Shinji frowned. "Here it comes," he said seriously.

A high-pitched wail emerged from Toshiro's body as his limbs began to twitch and move. The five stone pillars holding him to the ground shook violently.

He lifted his head, revealing half of his face to be covered by a hollow mask.

He stood up, the pillars breaking apart and collapsing behind him.

One of the Visoreds rose. She was a girl in a sailor school uniform. With braided black hair and glasses. She picked up her zanpakuto.

"Hachigen," she said. "Open the barrier. I'm going in first."

"Try not to kill him, Lisa," Shinji advised her.

Lisa looked back at Shinji in exasperation. "Yeah, if he doesn't kill me first."

* * *

The twin Hyorinmaru blades clashed again and again.

Toshrio and his doppelganger launched another attack, moving even faster than before. The momentum of their charge made them continue past each other even after their blades met.

They turned around to face each other again. The doppelganger grabbed the sickle at the end of Hyorinmaru's chain and began to twirl the blade itself around.

He threw the blade at Toshiro, just as he did the first time they fought. This time, the boy held Hyorinmaru instead of a weak zanpakuto, and he was able to deflect the thrown sword.

"I thought you said you were stronger than me," Toshiro said as the doppelganger pulled his sword back. "We seem pretty evenly matched to me."

The doppelganger grinned. "As a not-so-wise person once said, if this feud is ever going to be resolved, we both have to use our true power."

Toshiro looked at his doppelganger with a grave expression. In unison, they raised their swords.

"Bankai!" the both yelled.

* * *

Lisa stepped back as Toshiro's reiatsu spiked again.

A hollow hole appeared in the center of his chest even as the ice wings formed on his back.

The Visoreds looked up as the blue skies of their underground hideout were quickly covered over by dark clouds.

"So it's true," Shinji said, "he can control the weather."

"Kensei!" he called out. "Get in there and switch with Lisa!"

Hyori turned to him.

"What's wrong? I thought we were supposed to take ten minute turns keeping him in check."

"This has become much more dangerous," Shinji said. "The timetables are going to have be moved up. If he doesn't get control soon, we're gonna have to kill him to keep him from destroying all of Karakura Town."

Hyori grinned. "Now that I'd like to see."

"As amusing as that may be," Shinji said, "we're all in a lot of danger right now."

They squinted as a bolt of lightning flashed overhead, accompanied a deafening roar of thunder.

* * *

Toshiro and his doppelganger glared at each other. The other Toshiro's ice wings were as white as the rest of him.

Toshiro swung his sword forward, launching the great winged ice dragon at his opponent.

The doppelganger smirked and held out his free hand. He grabbed hold of the dragon's face and through it to the ground.

Toshiro gaped in shock.

"Is that really all you've got?"

The doppelganger pointed his sword at Toshiro. The boy knew what was coming, but he had no time to react as the bolt of lightning struck him.

He closed his eyes and screamed in pain.

The lightning attack ended as quickly as it had been launched. Toshiro opened his eyes, but his doppelganger was nowhere to be seen.

Neither was the icy plain.

Toshiro stood upon a plateau overlooking the Sereitei.

"This is the Sokyoku Hill," he said to himself. "What am I doing here?"

A familiar flower petal floated past his face, reflecting the sunlight back in a bright pink light.

Toshiro turned around, knowing who stood behind him.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Toshiro leapt out of the way of Byakuya Kuchiki's Shikai.

"Why are you attacking me, Byakuya?" he demanded.

The Sixth Division captain ignored his question. "Pathetic. Is that all the power you have now?"

"Tell me what's going on!" Toshiro yelled. "Why am I in the Soul Society!"

Byakuya closed his eyes. "You are a disappointment, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

Toshiro backed up in trepidation as Byakuya turned his sword over.

'This has got to be an illusion or a hallucination!' he thought. 'That's the only thing that makes any sense.'

Byakuya dropped his blade.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Toshiro leapt into the air to avoid the millions of tiny blades Byakuya launched at him.

He flew up, attempting to get out of range.

"What's the matter?" Byakuya asked. "Fight back!"

He raised his arms, increasing the speed with which Senbonzakura pursued Toshiro.

Toshiro was quickly surrounded by hundreds of thousands of tiny blades. They could not scratch his wings, but they could pierce his flesh.

Toshiro fell to earth, landing on one knee.

"That felt real," he said in pain. He was bleeding from many small cuts.

"Stand up, Toshiro Hitsugaya," Byakuya commanded. "Or else … "

Another wave of flower petals launched at Toshiro, who leapt out of the way again.

Toshiro was flying faster now, Byakuya's attack on his tail. But he was starting to feel the pressure of his Bankai building up in his body.

"Damn," he muttered as he was forced to land and let his Bankai dissipate. The full force of Byakuya's Bankai stuck him head on.

When the flower petals dissipated as well, Toshiro was lying face down on the ground, bleeding profusely from many wounds.

He looked up as Byakuya stepped in front of him.

"I do not know what I ever saw in you, boy. With your power, you are of no use to us."

"Byakuya … " Toshiro breathed, struggling to rise.

His eyes widened as Byakuya summoned his senkei.

The Sixth Division captain summoned one of the thousand swords and raised it over Toshiro's head.

"Those who do not have the will to fight have no chance of deflecting my blade."

Toshiro closed in eyes in anticipation of Byakuya's killing blow.

It never came.

He opened his eyes, and found himself back in the icy plain of his inner world.

"Welcome back," the doppelganger said, floating above him. "It's no fun killing someone who's unconscious."

Toshiro was still lying face-down, but he realized that the wounds Byakuya had inflicted on him were gone, leaving only the burns from the doppelganger's lightning attack.

He rose, but was unsteady on his feet.

"You really are pathetic," the doppelganger said. "You've been training ever since your fight with Byakuya. You're stronger now than you were when you fought him. So why did you do so much worse this time?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Toshiro shouted at him. "Byakuya and I settled our differences! Of course I wouldn't fight as-as …."

The other Toshiro grinned.

"So, you're finally beginning to figure it out."

"Tell me, why are you fighting Aizen and his Arrancar?"

Toshiro just glared at him.

"You don't know, do you?"

The doppelganger lowered himself to the ground.

"When you went to the Soul Society, you knew exactly what you were fighting for. You would do anything to save Rukia, and you gained so much power so quickly to do it. You got cut to ribbons again and again, but it didn't stop you.

"What happened to that warrior? Where is the Shinigami who got up again after Renji Abarai bashed his head in, after Kenpachi Zaraki stabbed him in the chest? Would he have gone down after just one kick?"

"So that's it?" Toshiro asked. "I'm mentally limiting myself again?"

"Not mentally, you idiot." The other Toshiro pointed at his head. "Up here you understand that Aizen needs to be stopped, that no one would do what he's done unless they had something diabolical planned."

"But you have no idea what that plan is. You don't know what Aizen or his Arrancar want, or why they're doing what they're doing."

The other Toshiro put his hand on his chest. "You just don't have the heart to fight like you used to. How can you, when you don't know what you're fighting for?"

"Is that why you couldn't take over my body?" Toshiro asked.

"Exactly! Real Shinigami have an instinct for battle. They don't need outside motivation like the life of a friend hanging in the balance to fight to their full potential. That's what made the Visoreds so vulnerable to hollowification. Their inner hollows fed on their need to kill the man who betrayed them.

"But you, who hates fighting, who has always been scared of your own power, you can't fight like that without the proper motivation. And even when in your head you know you need my power, in your heart you still resist. It was only when you knew Byakuya would kill Rukia and all your other friends that you were able to let me in, if only for a moment.

"Don't you get it!" the other Toshiro yelled. "It doesn't matter how many clever stratagems you come up with or how much you train to get stronger! As long as you hold to this ridiculous pacifism of yours, you'll never beat another captain-level opponent again!"

Toshiro looked down in thought.

'This-this is nothing like when I had to accept Hyorinmaru's power as my own. I can remember what it felt like when I was in the Soul Society, like how I remembered my anger when the Menos Grande attacked. But the memory of a feeling like that will only last for a few seconds! I can't fight that way!'

"You're telling me to change who I am," he said, "but I can't do that."

"Then you'll die."

The doppelganger disappeared and reappeared right in front of Toshiro with his blade embedded in the boy's stomach.

"Gurgh," was the only sound Toshiro could make as his doppelganger pushed the blade far enough into his body that it came out of his back. His eyes glazed over as the pain overwhelmed him.

"No, you won't die," the other Toshiro clarified. "But everyone else will. I'll start with those Visoreds. They'll never withstand the true power of Hyorinmaru. Then I'll seek out your friends. It'll be hard to decide who to kill first."

"Orihime would be the easiest to kill, but that will be over too quickly. Chad can take a beating, but he won't scream, so killing him won't be much fun.

The doppelganger lipped his lips. "No, the one it'll really be fun to kill will be Rukia. She can take a hit like Chad, but the screams she'll make when I rip her limb from limb will be exquisite!"

Toshiro's hand shot up and wrapped around the doppelganger's throat.

"Hehe … " the doppleganger laughed. "And then, just to make an afternoon of it, I'll utterly destroy this town until there's nothing left!"

Toshiro slammed him onto the ground, cracking the ice beneath them.

"You … " Toshir hissed in a blind rage.

The doppelganger smiled despite the tightening of Toshiro's hand around his throat.

"There's the fire in your eyes. Can you fight me even with a sword in your gut?"

Toshiro raised his own blade with his other hand and with a roar plunged it into his doppelganger's chest.

The other Toshiro raised his head to look at the sword in his chest. Ice was slowly spreading outward from the wound.

"Looks like you found that killer instinct after all. Don't forget it. The Arrancar are all hollows like me. They feast on the same death and destruction I do. And I wasn't bluffing."

He smiled one last time as the ice began to envelop his head. "If you still can't find the will to fight, I'll find a way to break your heart and take over. And then I'll kill everyone you ever loved."

"So keep that in mind if you ever think of losing."

The ice completely enveloped the doppelganger, freezing his grin in place.

* * *

Shinji was fighting Toshiro now, the last of the former captains.

Toshiro's hollowification had progressed faster than they had anticipated, but with his inner hollow occupied in their internal struggle the boy was lashing out on instinct alone.

Over half of Toshiro's body was already transformed, making him a full head taller than he normally was.

"Hang in there, kid," Shinji said as he blocked a swipe from a long talon. "We've all been where you are. The worst is almost over."

The words were meant to comfort himself, not Toshiro, who could not hear him.

The storm outside Hachi's barrier had steadily increased in intensity, to the point where Lisa, Hyori, and Mashiro had been told to flee upstairs for their own protection. Hachi would have gone with them, but he was needed to keep the barrier strong.

At least the creature Toshiro was becoming had not used any ice attacks. It would occasionally scream and cause a formation of ice to form nearby, but it had not used that power in a directed attack.

They were running out of time. If the hollowification spread to all of Toshiro's body, Shinji, Kensei, Love, and Rose would have to jump in and use their full powers to kill him.

Even the wings of his Bankai were transforming, developing scallops like those of a bat.

The creature spun around, knocking Shinji's feet from under him with its elongated tail.

He hit the ground hard and looked look. The creature was much more frightening when looked at from below. It raised its sword arm as high as it could.

And then its shoulder erupted in a fountain of black blood.

The creature screamed and writhed in pain as it started to back away, similar eruptions occurring elsewhere on its body.

Shinji rose quickly. "Hachi, get me out of here!"

The kido master opened a door-sized hole in his barrier to allow Shinji to jump through. He closed the hole as soon as Shinji was on the other side.

A wave of energy exploded out of Toshiro's body, filling the entire barrier.

The five Visoreds watched in trepidation as the smoke cleared and the storm overhead disappeared.

Toshiro stood motionless in the center of the barrier.

The three former lieutenants ran down the stairs.

"What happened?" Hyori asked.

No one answered as the creature's wings broke apart. The transformed parts of Toshiro's body began to fall to the floor one at a time.

Eventually the body stood there looking as he did before he arrived, except for the mask which covered his face.

Hachi snapped his fingers, lowering the barrier, and Shinji stepped forward.

"You ok there, kid?"

"Stay back," Toshiro warned, his voice distorted by the mask the same way Hyori's had been.

He turned to the side and screamed, swinging his zanpakuto. A thin torrent of ice was released from the tip. The attack left a long, six-foot high trail of ice on the ground as it sailed across the rocky terrain and disappeared beyond their sight.

The Visoreds stared in fright as Toshiro continued to scream and swing his sword back and forth, sending more torrents of ice past the horizon of the underground hideout, each torrent leaving a thin, high trail along the ground. With every swing they were struck by a powerful burst of wind.

After around ten seconds, the mask on Toshiro face broke apart and he collapsed to his hands and knees.

Shinji looked to his comrades. Mashiro was shaking with fright. Hyori attempted to look angry as she usually did, but she could not keep from biting her upper lip. Hachi was not even trying to hide his fear.

The others had kept their composure, but they were still clearly shaken.

Shinji approached the boy, who was crying and repeatedly hitting the ground with his fist.

"Looks like you had it pretty rough in there. I hope you're not mad at us for putting you through that. It was the only way."

Toshiro took a long, deep breath and sat up.

"I'm only mad at myself," he declared. "And that'll be enough."

* * *

 _Author's note. I've been avoiding adapting filler like the Bount arc, but I have been considering working with some of the filler of the Shinigami advance team in the world of the living that would be coming up soon, specifically the multi-episode arc with the Arrancar that could clone itself. I've decided to put it up to a vote and see what the readers want. Should I include that story or should I stick solely to non-filler material here?_

 _Much later down the line I will adapt one of the movies. That's already decided. But that will be posted only when it would make sense in the plot._


	31. Chapter 31

"All right, now who can tell me Newton's Second Law of Motion?"

One hand shot up. "I can! I can!"

"Ok, Toshiro. No need to get so excited when no one else is even raising their hand."

Orihime turned her head and looked at the empty seat of Uryu Ishida. The young Quincy had been absent from school for some time, ever since the Shinigami showed up.

'I knew Uryu didn't want to help the Shinigami,' she thought. 'But I didn't think he hated them so much he'd skip school just to avoid them. It's not like any of them other than Rukia are even coming to school with us.'

When the bell rang, Orihime quickly gathered her things to leave.

"Hey, Orihime."

Orihime looked up from her desk to see Tatsuki standing over her.

"Oh, high, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki spared a look at Toshiro, who seemed to be bouncing with energy as he left the classroom.

"What do you think's up with him? It's kind of weird to see Toshiro actually acting like a little kid for once."

"Yeah," Orihime said uncomfortably, "it's weird."

Tatsuki looked at her with a serious expression. "What's going on, Orihime?"

"Huh?"

"First day of school this semester you start hanging out with Rukia, which I understand, with Chad, someone you never hung out with before, and Toshiro, someone you used to be to scared of to even talk to. You never want to hang out after school anymore, saying that you're busy. Then the last few days Toshiro starts behaving like a totally different person, like he's actually happy about something, and you start avoiding him again.

"I'll ask you again, what the heck is going on between all of you?"

Orihime looked away. "It's very complicated."

'How can I tell Tatsuki that that's not really Toshiro, that someone else is inhabiting his body while he's away on an important mission?'

Zilla had taken to the freedom afforded him over the last five days with unexpected gusto. He turned out to be smarter than any of them had expected, which was at least good for Toshiro's grades. He was also far more social than Toshiro was capable of being, being willing to talk to anyone about almost anything.

He was even attempting to put his speed and kicking abilities to use by trying out for the school junior varsity soccer team.

But no matter how social Zilla was, the fact was that Orihime had gotten to know the real Toshiro over the last few months, and seeing someone else in his body was disturbing. So she avoided Zilla.

"Complicated like when the three of you showed up to fight off those monsters that killed all those people in the park?"

Orihime gaped at Tatsuki in surprise.

"Did you think I wouldn't remember? That big guy was talking about killing me, and the next thing I know Toshiro's there carrying this big sword and growing wings, and you and Chad came right after that."

"We're doing something very important," Orihime said. "I wish I could tell you more, but I can't."

"Why not? Maybe I could help out with whatever it is you're doing. You know how tough I am."

"I'm sorry," Orihime said sadly. "But you really can't help. Sometimes I don't even know if I can even be of any use."

"Use to who?"

Orihime stood up. "I'm sorry, Tatsuki."

"Orihime … "Tatsuki said as she watched her best friend leave without saying goodbye.

'What happened? She used to tell me everything, but now it's like there's some wall between us that I can't break through.'

* * *

Orihime was sad when she arrived home from school.

'I can't let Tatsuki get involved when she doesn't have any powers,' she thought. 'But then, would I really change my mind if she developed super-kangaroo punching powers tomorrow?'

'Is this how Toshiro felt when he tried to talk me out of fighting, why he seemed happy Uryu had decided not to stay and fight with us?' she wondered.

Orihime opened the front door to her house and stopped. She heard raised voices coming from the living room.

'What's going on?' she wondered. 'That's Captain Ukitake's voice. But it sounds like he's talking to their head captain!'

'It's so loud. Not like they're talking by cell phone. It's like he's really here with them!'

The very thought of the Shinigami Head Captain Genryusai Yammamoto made her skin crawl. The first and only time she had ever met him had been when he had approached a gravely wounded Toshiro to say that he still intended to execute the boy.

"Very well, we're counting on you, Captain Ukitake," she heard the head captain say.

"I will do my very best, sir."

Sensing that the conversation was ending, Orihime hesitatingly opened the door to her living room.

Ukitake and Rangiku stood in the center of the room in their gigais and wearing human clothing. In front of them was a large screen that covered the entire wall.

"Oh, um, sorry," Orihime said very quickly. "I didn't mean to barge in or to eavesdrop. I only heard the very end. And I mean, this is my house, so I really should be able to come and go as I please-"

"That's all right, Orihime," Ukitake said. "As a matter of fact, your timing couldn't have been better."

"It couldn't?" Orihime asked.

"That's right. There's something you can do for us. Do you know where Toshiro is?"

Orihime froze for a few seconds.

"No, I don't."

Ukitake looked at her seriously. The truth was that she really did not know where Toshiro was, but she still knew more than he did.

"So you're also going to play coy with me," he said in resignation.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't get a straight answer out of Rukia either about where that boy's gone off to. It's quite unexpected. Rukia's never been anything less than fully honest with me before."

He walked over to Orihime. "I could order Rukia to tell me everything, but I've decided to trust that you and her have a good reason for keeping Toshiro's current whereabouts a secret. But if you do see him, we need you to deliver a message to him."

"A message?"

Ukitake nodded solemnly. "It's very important."

* * *

Toshiro and Shinji stared each other down.

Each opponent had one hand on their sword. In unison, they raised their other hand over their faces and summoned their hollow masks.

Then they both disappeared.

Most of the other Visoreds sat and watched as the two zipped around the training grounds, appearing for just brief instances as their blades collided.

Seeing that neither of them were gaining the upper hand, Toshiro broke off from the confrontation and held out his free hand towards Shinji.

"Hmm?" Shinji wondered, stopping to watch what Toshiro's move would be.

"Hado Number 33: Sōkatsui!"

A torrent of blue energy burst forth from Toshiro's palm.

Shinji stood still as the energy wave approached him. He held up his fist, which began to glow with a red energy.

Toshiro's eyes widened at the sight of the red energy emanating from Shinji's hand.

"Ohhhh!" Mashiro yelled in excitement from the sidelines. "Shinji's using it!"

Shinji held out his glowing hand. The energy surrounding his hand completely negated Toshiro's attack.

Toshiro's concentration broke and his mask cracked apart, revealing the startled expression on his face.

Shinji appeared behind Toshiro, still wearing his mask. He kicked the boy in the side, knocking him twenty meters across the ground.

"Don't lose focus, even for a millisecond," Shinji said, lifting up his mask to speak clearly. "If this was a real fight you'd be dead now."

Toshiro grimaced as he got up. He turned and glared at Shinji.

"That was a cero you were preparing, wasn't it?"

"So what if it was?" Shinji asked. "We're former Shinigami who have gained hollow powers. Of course we'd pick up abilities like the cero after a hundred years."

He grinned. "Or do you just want to learn how to do it too? I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. You've got to be able to maintain your hollow mask for at least a full minute before you can even think about controlling a cero."

Toshiro walked past Shinji towards the other Visoerds. "Fine."

Shinji let his mask dissolve and regarded the boy closely.

Toshiro had needed almost a full day's rest after his encounter with his inner hollow. After he woke up he went back into his inner world to talk to his zanpakuto spirit, a conversation which had lasted hours. As a result, it was a full two days before they could begin training the boy to master his hollowification.

Hiyori had wanted to take charge of his training, no doubt looking for some payback. But it was decided that only those who had held the rank of captain be allowed to spar with Toshiro.

No one would say it out loud, but they were scared of what Hyorinmaru could do. That was part of the reason they trained without releasing their Shikais.

Toshiro's shock at seeing Shinji use a cero had caused him to lose his hollowification after just fifteen seconds that time, but he had previously managed to hold it for a hair under twenty.

Shinji's use of the cero accomplished another goal. It put them back on an even footing by showing Toshiro something about the Visoreds that he would be afraid of, just as they were scared of his power.

Toshiro picked up a bottle of water and began to gulp it down. In the Soul Society his body had been sustained by the reishi that made up the entire realm, reducing his need to eat and drink. But in the world of the living even his Shinigami form needed to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated while training.

Toshiro wiped his mouth with his sleeve when he had drained the bottle. "I'm sure the Arrancar will get quite a shock if you use their own attack against them."

'There he goes again,' Shinji thought.

"I gotta ask, kid, why are you so determined to get us to help you fight Aizen's Arrancar?"

"We need allies. It's as simple as that."

"Do you?" Shinji asked. "Do you really? From what I've seen, you're the sort who's better off facing an entire army alone than fighting one opponent with an ally at your side."

Toshiro tossed the water bottle in the recycling bin Hachi had brought down and looked at Shinji with narrowed eyes.

"Can you guarantee that there won't be any innocent people within a ten mile radius when I take on said army?"

"That's war, kid," Kensei said. "There will always be casualties."

Toshiro glared at him. "Is that your answer, to nuke everything?"

"Hmph. If it works."

"Does it really matter if a bunch of stupid humans get killed?" Hyori asked. "Their lives are so short anyway it doesn't make much of a difference if they kick it now or in a couple of decades."

"Watch it," Toshiro said angrily. "I'm a human too."

"Is that so?" She grinned, showing off her long fang. "Then I guess you won't be alive to be a pain in our asses for much longer."

"I think that's a long enough break," Shinji said, breaking up the discussion. "Let's get back to training."

* * *

Orihime had been in this part of town before, back when she and Chad had first trained to use their powers with Yoruichi. The then-cat had thought that they would draw less attention. She guessed that the people Toshiro told her about had had the same idea.

She stopped in front of an old, dilapidated warehouse.

A stray cat was walking in front of the building.

'That cat looks like it's walking next to an invisible wall,' Orihime thought. She looked around. No birds or even bugs would come within fifteen feet of the warehouse.

'There must be a forcefield there,' she thought.

Orihime stepped forward and put her hand on the invisible shield.

'What an incredible barrier this is. It's very powerful, but it feels similar to my shunshunrika shield.'

She pushed her hand forward, and her fingers slid through the barrier like water.

* * *

The Visoreds watched as Toshiro and Shinji clashed again.

"The kid's good," Love said, "but he's nowhere near as scary when he's not making the sky go all black."

"He relies too much on his Bankai," Kensei said. "It's made him soft."

"I don't know if I'd agree with that assessment," Lisa said. "Not after his first fight with Hyori."

The smallest Visored glared at Lisa and mumbled something under her breath.

"He's simply overthinking things," Rose said. "He's too focused on the future instead of on the here and now."

"And what's wrong with planning ahead?" Mashiro asked.

"Nothing," Kensei answered, "as long as you also keep focused on what's in front of you."

"We may want to think a little more ahead ourselves," Love said. "If it comes down to us and the Soul Society, whichever side controls the heavenly guardian will be the side that wins."

"Do you really think it'll come to that?" Mashiro asked.

"They've wanted us dead for a hundred years," Kensei said. "There's no reason to think they'll stop chasing us when this is all over. From what I've heard they're planning on killing the kid too once he's outlived his usefulness to them."

Hachi looked up at the stairway suddenly.

"What's the matter, Hachi?" Kensei asked.

"There's a problem," the large man answered. "Someone just slipped through my forcefield and entered the building."

"Is it a Shinigami?" Love asked.

"No. The special barrier I put around this location is a technique I developed on my own after I became a Visored. It can't be broken by the kido of a Shinigami."

"So who is it?" Kensei demanded. "Are you saying that it's another Visored like us?"

"I'm afraid I really don't know," Hachi said. "The thing that really puzzles me is that whoever it is didn't get in by destroying the barrier. They simply walked right through it! A Visored wouldn't be able to do that."

"You're right," Kensei said. "Then what the hell is it?"

They all turned to look at the stairs.

"Here it comes," Kensei said in apprehension.

They gaped in shock as Orihime slowly descended the stairs.

"It's a girl!" Kensei yelled. "A human girl."

"Wait," Hachi said. "I think I recognize her. She was in the park that day."

Orihime smiled nervously.

"Hi! Do any of you know where the bathroom is? Hehe, just kidding!"

"Say what?" Kensei growled.

"It was a joke, Kensei," Lisa said. "Calm down."

There was a crash of thunder as the combatants' blades collided again.

Toshiro and Shinji reappeared in front of the Visoreds, both breathing heavily beneath their hollow masks.

Orihime looked at the smaller figure. 'That looks like Toshiro, but that mask he's wearing is so scary.'

Toshiro's mask cracked and broke apart.

"Not bad," Shinji said. "I was sure you'd lose your concentration when your friend arrived."

Toshiro sheathed his sword and looked up at Orihime, who smiled at him.

"So it is you!" she said.

* * *

Toshiro and Orihime went off to the side to talk.

"How'd you find this place?" Toshiro asked.

"Oh, it wasn't that hard. I just looked for the coldest reiatsu in town."

Toshiro sort-of-smiled in embarrassment. "I guess I do have a distinctive smell."

She looked at the Visoreds, who were all staring at them. "So Shinji from our class is actually a Shinigami?"

"That's complicated. They want me to join them. I want them to join us. And now we're at an impasse."

"And that mask you had on before, what was that?"

"They helped me get the hollow inside me under control so I can use its power in battle. It's not as useful as it sounds, but with enough training I'm hoping it will last long enough to give me an edge in a fight."

"How have things been going upstairs?" he asked. "Is Zilla behaving himself."

"Oh, yes, actually. He's doing well, but I think you'll be the school's star soccer player when you finally get back."

"Soccer?" Toshiro asked. "I never play sports. What's he thinking?"

"I guess that he can kick really hard and wants to do something with that ability.'

Toshiro closed his eyes in exasperation. "Yeah. I guess I can't tell him not to have fun if he's not breaking any rules."

"Are you and Chad still training together?"

She nodded. "Rukia's been training with us."

"That makes sense. How's that working out?"

Orihime put her finger on her chin and looked up in thought. "Well, it's different from training with you. Rukia's zanpakuto also makes ice, but she can only do a couple of really specific attacks with it. She can't fly or make walls for us break through like you do. So we do more straight-up fighting."

"I see."

After a pause, Toshiro asked "So what brings you here? I doubt you sought me out to talk about Zilla playing soccer and training with Rukia."

She nodded. "Captain Ukitake actually asked me to deliver an important message to you."

"And what is the message?"

"The Soul Society thinks they know what Aizen's real goal is."

Toshiro looked at her with a serious expression. "What did they find?"

"Captain Ukitake told me that they found that Aizen was researching how to create this special key that opens the way to the realm of the Soul King."

Toshiro rubbed his chin. "No one ever mentioned anything about a Soul King or his realm."

" _No one was standing in heaven to begin with. Not you, not me, not even a god."_

 _"However, that vacancy on the throne of heaven will soon be filled. From now on, I will rule in heaven."_

"So it's deicide he's after, to kill this Soul King and take his place. He thinks by doing that he can become a god."

"There's more," Orihime said, growing nervous. Toshiro realized that the worst news was still to come.

"They said that to create this key, Aizen will need a place in the human world where there is a high concentration of spirit energy. He'll destroy the whole area and turn of all its spirit energy into this key."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed as he followed the thought to its logical conclusion. "And this area with a high concentration of spirit energy – "

"Is Karakura Town. Aizen's going to turn the whole town into a giant crater," Orihime said.

Toshiro looked away.

"Toshiro?"

"At least now we know we're fighting for," he said in an eerily emotionless voice. "This was probably the perfect time to find this out."

'If I had known about this during the Arrancar attacks, that hollow inside me probably would have been able to take over,' he thought to himself. 'It would probably say that destroying the town on its own would be the best way to foil Aizen's plan.'

"Captain Ukitake said one more thing. He said Aizen won't move until the Hogyoku he took from Rukia is fully awakened, which they think will be in four months. In the winter, they're going to war."

Toshiro could hear in her voice that it was the word 'war' which terrified her the most.

He stood up. "We'll beat them. Don't worry."

"How can you be so sure?"

Toshiro smiled at her. "Four of us went up against the whole Soul Society, and we won without losing anyone. This time we'll have a whole army of Shinigami fighting alongside us, and we've got four months to prepare instead of just ten days like last time."

"We're gonna work and train as hard as we can so that when Aizen and his Arrancar show up, we'll make him regret the day he decided to mess with us."

Orihime nodded and looked at him with a resolute expression. "Right. We're gonna kick his butt."


	32. Chapter 32

Orihime had gotten used to having a group of Shinigami hanging out at her house.

Rangiku Matsumoto was the only one who slept there, but Jushiro Ukitake was there often during the day to use the large screen to communicate with the Sereitei, and the other Shinigami would come by to receive orders or visit their friends.

Even so, Orihime was surprised to see just how large the crowd gathered in her living room was when she came home from school that day.

Ukitake, Rangiku, Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yummichaika were all there.

It was highly unusual for them all to be there at once. One Shinigami was always out on patrol, and Ikkaku and Yumichika usually kept to themselves.

What was more, they had a guest with them.

A young boy was standing in the middle of all the Shinigami. He had brown hair and brown eyes and wore a yellow shirt. He had a band-aid over his nose.

"Who are you?" the boy asked when he saw Orihime. "Are you with these old people?"

"Oh?" Orihime said in surprise. "Well, I live here. This is my house."

The boy looked around at all the Shinigami. "Are you serious? Why did you bring me to some teenager's house? Are you old people homeless?"

"For the last time, we're not old!" Yumichika said, barely containing his disgust.

Ukitake laughed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I definitely qualify as old, even by Soul Society standards."

"Excuse me," Orihime said, "but what are you all doing here? There's no space to move with so many people in the living room."

"My apologies, Orihime," Ukitake said. "It's hard to find a large space where we don't have to worry about people not knowing who we are."

"And we need to find out if that Arrancar that appeared today was sent by Aizen," Rukia said in a serious tone.

"Arrancar?" Orihime asked, growing concerned. She knew a hollow had appeared when Rukia had suddenly ran out of class earlier that day, but she had no idea the situation was that serious. "I didn't feel anything."

"It was a lot weaker than the ones we fought a few weeks ago," Renji said. "So we're not entirely sure what's up with it."

Ikkaku glared at the boy. "We were hoping this kid could shed some light on the subject, but he's being rather uncooperative."

"Why would this boy – " Orihime stopped when she saw the chain sticking out of the boy's chest. Her hand covered her mouth as she gasped.

The boy was a spirit. He was dead.

Ukitake knelt in front of the boy.

"When that hollow first appeared, did you hear a strange whistling noise?" he asked.

All the Shinigami nodded.

"Yeah, that was really annoying," Ikkaku said.

"I'll say," Renji added. "It made it pretty hard to concentrate on what I was doing."

Ukitake ignored them and continued to look at the boy.

The boy looked to the side. "Yeah, I heard it," he said in a defiant tone.

"Did the hollow say anything to you?" Ukitake asked.

"No. I was just minding my own business when that thing came out of nowhere and attacked me!"

Even to Orihime it sounded like the boy had rehearsed that line in his head.

"Looks like there's no point in asking any more questions," Ikkaku said, "not if he doesn't feel like being honest."

"Yes," Ukitake said. "I guess we should perform the konso now."

"No!" the boy screamed. "I still have things I need to do here! I don't want to go anywhere now!"

Ukitake began to pull his sword from his sheathe.

"Wait!" Rangiku said suddenly. Ukitake stopped, but did not resheathe his sword.

"This boy is just feeling scared and confused. I'm sure that if we give him some time, he'll be more willing to answer our questions in the morning."

Ukitake smiled slightly.

"All right. He'll stay with you and Orihime tonight. We'll pick this up again in the morning."

The Shinigami began to leave. Orihime had to step out into the hall to make way for them.

Rukia was the last the leave the living room. She looked at Orihime.

"Looks like you've got another guest tonight. Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's ok," Orihime assured her. "I'm sure I've got enough food for the both of them."

Rukia looked at her sadly. "Dead souls don't eat. They can't even touch food in this world."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

Rukia looked back at the living room, where the boy had already gotten into a heated argument with Rangiku. "With any luck this will all turn out to be nothing and we can send him to the Soul Society tomorrow."

"Do you think we should get in touch with Toshiro and let him know what's going on?"

Rukia shook his head. "What Toshiro's doing is very important, and any one of us would be strong enough to defeat the Arrancar that appeared today. We shouldn't disturb him if it isn't absolutely necessary."

"I guess."

Rukia put her hand on Orihime's shoulder.

"See you tomorrow," she said before leaving.

* * *

" **That brat!"**

Orihime was startled awake by Rangiku's screams. She ran downstairs.

"What's wrong, Rangiku?"

"He's gone! He ran away! And he took my zanpakuto with him!"

Orihime looked around the living room. There was no sign of the boy.

"But why would he – "

Rangiku gritted her teeth in frustration. "You stay here. I'm going to find that pain in the ass and give him a piece of my mind."

"Um, ok," Orihime said as Rangiku stormed out of the house.

She waited for about fifteen minutes when she began to hear a strange whisting noise.

'What is that?' she wondered. 'A flute? No, it sounds more like an ocarina.'

She felt a strange reiatsu appear.

'Is that a hollow?'

Within seconds the reiatsus of all of the Shinigami flared. They sensed the same thing she did and were already on their way to deal with it.

Ordinarily there would be no need for Orihime to get involved, but Rangiku was the one closest to the hollow, and the lieutenant did not have her zanpakuto.

She ran out of the house.

The strange noise continued as she ran through the night.

Orihime stopped as she felt something appear behind her. It had the same reiatsu as the hollow she had been running towards.

She turned around.

The hollow looked like an armadillo with dull purple skin and brown fur. It stood on all fours, and its hollow mask was huge. It had a large mouth, but no eyes.

Orihime stood firm. She'd faced hollows like this multiple times before. It was no longer something to be afraid of.

"Tsubaki," she said calmly. The diminutive figure appeared next to her head.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!"

Tsubaki shot forward at tremendous speed, striking the hollow head-on. Orihime watched as the creature disintegrated.

"Hahahaha," a gravely voice began to laugh.

Orihime looked around, attempting to locate the source of the laughter. It seemed to come from all directions.

Which it was.

Another, hollow, identical to the one Orihime had just killed, appeared on a roof to her left. More gradually stepped out of the shadows, until there were at least five of the same armadillo hollows surrounding her.

"You're not a Shinigami," all of the hollows said in unison. "What are you?"

"I could ask you the same question," Orihime responded.

The hollow on the roof leapt to the ground and stood on its hind legs, towering over her. "No matter. Once I consume you I'll know all of your secrets. And then your power will be mine as well."

Orihime backed up as the hollow came closer, attempting to get close to the nearest building so she would not be surrounded.

"Santen Kesshun: I reject."

The orange barrier appeared. Over the course of her training with Toshiro, Chad, and Rukia, Orihime had learned to mold her simple force field into a dome which covered her from any angle.

"What? Are you not going to put up a fight like the Shinigami are?"

Orihime glared at the hollow with a resolute expression.

"Tsugi no mai: Hakuren!"

A wave of ice flowed down the street at blinding speed, enveloping all five copies of the hollow.

Protected within her shield, Orihime looked to the side. She recognized that attack.

"Rukia."

Rukia Kuchiki approached, sheathing her sword. "I'm glad I got here in time."

She looked at Orihime with a serious expression. "I've been in touch with the others. This hollow has dozens of copies all over the city, maybe more."

"The situation has changed. We need you to get Toshiro now."

Orihime nodded. "Right. I understand."

"I'll come with you, just in case," Rukia said.

They had hardly begun to move when a cold wave passed through them.

Orihime turned to Rukia. "Do you sense that too, that cold feeling?"

Rukia smiled. "I sure do."

* * *

Rangiku ran into the park with the boy, whose name she now knew was Shota.

She had her zanpakuto back, but it did not matter against so many opponents.

She and Shota were backed up against a tree as over forty of the copies surrounded them.

"You have nowhere left to run," the hollow sneered. "It's over!"

The copies moved to attack, but Rangiku looked up.

A large blue dragon of flowing ice and water was hurtling at the ground. Rangiku shielded Shota as the dragon struck the hollow copies, creating a tremendous wind.

When they looked back, all of the hollows were completely frozen in a gigantic formation of ice.

They watched as the figure descended to the ground, sheathing a long sword on his back.

"Who is that?" Shota wondered.

"Toshiro!"

The substitute Shinigami looked up as all of his allies converged on the park. Captain Ukitake arrived first, followed quickly by Orihime and Rukia. Chad came next, followed quickly by Renji. Ikkaku and Yumichika arrived last.

Ukitake looked at Toshiro skeptically. "So you've been pretty close by this whole time."

Toshiro did not respond. Instead he looked at the ice formation he had created.

"What's the story with that Arrancar?" he asked.

Before anyone had a chance to answer, Shota began to walk away from the group.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rangiku called out after him.

Shota approached a bench at the other side of the clearing, where a little girl was sitting, fast asleep.

"Yui!"

* * *

If Orihime's apartment was crowded before, now it was practically bursting.

Shota's younger sister, who had a chain of fate attached to her chest as he did, was spread out unconscious on the floor of the living room while Rangiku and Ukitake examined her. The humans, Orihime, Toshiro, and Chad also stood in the living room while the other Shinigami all waited outside.

"I can't find anything abnormal about her, sir," Rangiku told Ukitake.

"I see," the captain said. He turned to Shota. "So that's why you were so adamant about refusing the konso earlier. You were looking for you sister."

Toshiro noticeably stirred at Ukitake's words.

Rangiku kneeled down in front of the boy's spirit. "Shota, please tell us what happened."

Shota looked down sadly.

"We'd just left the park. We were all in the car. Mom and dad were up front, Yui and I were in the back. She was playing her toy ocarina, then this truck came out of nowhere and hit us."

"When I woke up, this chain was attached to my chest, and I knew my mom and dad were gone."

Yui stirred and opened her eyes.

"Yui"! Shota yelled, leaning over her. "It's me!"

"Shota," Yui said softly, "my big brother."

Ukitake got up and moved towards the door.

"Hey, where are you going, Captain Ukitake?" Rangiku asked.

The captain made a small motion with his head in Toshiro's direction, signaling that he wanted to talk to the substitute outside.

"I'll get right to the point," Ukitake said quietly after they stepped outside. "We need information from those two. How did Yui just appear right after you destroyed all of those clones? What is their connection to this hollow, and what do they know about it?"

"And you want me to try to get that information out of them since I'm closer to them in age," Toshiro observed.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not comfortable with the idea of interrogating children, even if it is necessary and I wouldn't do anything beyond asking them questions," Ukitake said.

Toshiro looked inside. Yui was laughing at some remark Shota had made at Rangiku's expense.

"I understand," he said.

Ukitake motioned for Rangiku to leave when they reentered the room. He left as well, leaving only the humans.

Toshiro sat down next to the siblings.

"Hi," he said awkwardly. "I'm Toshiro."

"I'm Orihime, but you already know that."

"And I'm Chad."

"Um, and what are you people?" Shota asked. "Are you like superheroes, or something?"

"We're students at Karakura High School," Toshiro answered.

"But I suppose you could say we're superheroes in our free time," Orihime added.

Shota looked at the little boy who dressed like those Shinigami, to the girl who actually looked like she should be in high school but who seemed to own the house they were in, to the man who seemed too big to be in school.

"You're all in high school? That doesn't make any sense."

"I skipped ahead a couple of years, and Chad's just big for his age," Toshiro explained. "We all just started ninth grade recently."

"And do those old guys just let kids join them and get those swords? Could I get one too?"

Toshiro regarded Shota closely. "Is that what you want? To go out hunting monsters with a zanpakuto?"

"Or is it just this particular hollow you want to kill?"

Shota opened his mouth in shock.

"Your sister is safe," Chad observed. "You have no reason to seek revenge."

The siblings looked at each other. "I guess," Shota said.

"Besides," Toshiro added, "they don't give these powers to humans. The process by which I got mine is technically illegal. They're not going to do it again."

Orihime bent down and smiled at Yui. "I'm sorry," she said. "This must be all so confusing and overwhelming for you. All this talk about powers and hollows and stuff."

The little girl nodded.

"What were you doing at the park when we found you?" Toshiro asked. "Were you playing there?"

"I was looking for my big brother," she answered.

Toshiro put his hand on his chin in thought. Yui had been asleep when Shota found her, so it was possible that she had been there the whole time and no one noticed her because of the fight. But at the same time, the sounds of battle would have woken anyone up.

"Did you two get separated there at the park?" he asked.

Shota nodded.

"How? How did you get separated?"

"That's none of your business!" Shota yelled, suddenly getting angry.

"We shouldn't push them to relive traumatic events," Chad warned.

'He had no problem talking about them getting killed in a car crash,' Toshiro thought. 'What could be more traumatic than that?'

He put his hand together in front of his face. "Sorry. Guess I'm not in a good mood today. That Arrancar looked a lot like the one that killed my sister."

Orihime and Chad looked at each other, and Shota calmed down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said.

"It happened about two years ago," Toshiro explained. "It was long before I got my powers."

He stood up and looked at Shota with a serious expression.

"You let us worry about the hollow. You two just need to look after each other. You can't go wandering off, and you can't go looking for that hollow.

"Two years ago, I was helpless. I'm not helpless anymore. I won't let what happened then happen again."

As Toshiro stepped out of the room, Orihime rose to follow him.

"Are you all right?" she asked. "That's the second time you said Momo was killed by a hollow. We all thought it was an accident."

"That's what I thought, too," Toshiro replied. "It was only two months after I met Rukia that I found out the truth."

He stepped out of her house and looked up at the stars. "That was the day I decided I had to be a Shinigami."

"It's hard to believe," Orihime said, "that a hollow took something so precious from us so long ago."

Toshiro looked at Orihime out of the corner of his eye. Momo would have been the same age as her, Chad, and Uryu if she had lived. She had been in their class for years before Toshiro had skipped ahead to their grade.

All the girls in the class were friends with Orihime, including Momo.

"She was protecting me," Toshiro said.

"Momo was obsessed with you," Orihime said. "Even when we were in kindergarten she was always talking about her baby brother and all the things he did. It got to be really annoying after a while."

Toshiro chuckled a little.

"I didn't know that."

"I think a lot of big siblings are like that, especially with the first of their younger siblings," Orihime said. "Everyone had this picture of you in our minds because of everything Momo told us, but when you joined our class you were nothing like we imagined."

Toshiro closed his eyes as he remembered an earlier time.

He had been very nervous when he was advanced up several years in school and began taking classes with kids who were so much bigger and older than he was. Looking back he had probably overcompensated by acting older than anyone else in the class.

It had not been entirely an act. He was advanced for his age and had just begun to understand that the spirits he saw were in fact the ghosts of the dead.

After Momo was killed, it ceased to be an act altogether.

Toshiro had expected Momo to return as a ghost. After all, he saw ghosts regularly. But he never saw her again. He had assumed that her spirit just left because she blamed him for getting her killed.

He knew better now, but it did not make those feelings of guilt go away.

"I can't help but wonder what would have happened if she was still alive," Orihime said, bringing Toshiro out of his reverie. "Would she have developed powers like me and Chad? Would she have gone to the Soul Society with us?"

"Or maybe she'd have been the one to get Shinigami powers, and I'd be a normal kid."

"You were never a normal kid."

That was true enough. He could always see spirits, and the Soul Society thought he was a prophesized warrior.

Could his story have played out differently, he wondered? Or was he always destined to be this heavenly guardian?

"I'd better get going," he said. "I need to tell Jushiro what we've learned, even if it isn't much."

* * *

Orihime went upstairs to her bookshelf. Most of the books there had belonged her brother before his car accident, but she had a collection of manga, romance novels, and young adult novels.

She pulled out what was the newest book in the collection, her middle school yearbook.

The yearbook was only a few months old, having been made shortly before Rukia had been taken back to the Soul Society.

She opened the book to the class pictures. There were pictures of the class from each year from kindergarten through eighth grade. In most of the pictures Orihime recognized the face of a smiling black-haired girl.

Momo's smile was different from picture to picture. In the kindergarten picture she was laughing hysterically, while in the sixth grade picture she was beaming with pride at a small, white haired figure sitting in front of her with an expression somewhere between a scowl and a confused look, as if he was not sure what he was doing there.

That had been the year Toshiro joined their class.

Orihime smiled when she saw the obvious affection Momo had for her younger brother in that picture. She had always been a good student herself, but she never resented Toshiro for being a genius like others in their class had.

Orihime's smile turned to sadness as she moved on to the seventh grade class picture. The smiling blavk-haired girl was not there, as Momo had not lived to start that school year. Toshiro was still in front as befitted his height, that time with the full scowl that had always scared Orihime and much of the rest of the class.

"That's Toshiro's sister?" she heard Chad ask behind her.

Orihime nodded. "That's Momo."

Chad took the yearbook from her and looked at the pictures.

"I didn't know he had an older sibling."

"We didn't really talk about her much after it happened. You remember what it was like after Makoto had that car accident."

Chad first appeared in the seventh grade picture. He had first joined their class partway through that year.

He handed the yearbook back to Orihime.

"I would have liked to meet her."

"She was very nice," Orihime explained. "Always smiling, outgoing. In some ways she was the complete opposite of Toshiro."

She rubbed her eyes.

"The kids are asleep," Chad told her. "We should get some sleep as well. We still have school in the morning."

Orihime put the yearbook back on the shelf. "Yeah."

* * *

Ukitake briefed them all on what the Soul Society had determined about the Arrancar's capabilities.

"Each clone shares the exact same reiatsu. This means that they all share the same intelligence and are being controlled remotely by the original hollow from a safe location."

"Using its clones, this hollow is able to consume a large amount of souls in a short period and increase its power quickly."

"So we've got to find and kill the main hollow," Toshiro observed

"Exactly," Ukitake said. "Everyone is to split up. We're going to cover as much ground as possible and try to flush it out."

"Yes sir," over half a dozen voices said in unison.

Ukitake left on his own, as did Renji. Rangiku would stay with Shota and Yui while Orihime and Chad were at school. Ikkaku and Yumichika stuck together.

Rukia chose to go with Toshiro, who gave her a look of satisfaction which surprised her before they leapt onto the nearest roof to begin their patrol of the city.

"You seemed unusually pleased to be taking orders from Captain Ukitake," she said as they ran across the rooftops.

"I was just thinking, this is the first time everyone is actually working together. You, me, Chad and Orihime, and all the Shinigami here. It's good that everyone's finally on the same page."

They leapt onto the roof of the tallest building in the neighborhood and surveyed the city below.

"But it's not everyone," Rukia observed. "Uryu's not around, and I couldn't help noticing you didn't bring any Visoreds with you."

Toshiro grimaced. "Uryu can't help us."

Rukia's brow furrowed in thought. She had been under the impression that the Quincy had simply refused to fight alongside the Shinigami. But Toshiro's use of the word 'can't' implied there was something more going on.

"What about the Visoreds?"

"They didn't want me to come," Toshiro said.

That was an understatement. The moment he sensed the dozens of reiatsus emitted by the hollow clones Toshiro knew he had to get back. Of all the Visoreds, only Hachi seemed to understand. The rest ranged from angry to livid that he would even consider leaving them even for a short while. They had taken it as a betrayal.

Toshiro had likewise been disappointed in their refusal to come help when the entire town was clearly in danger.

But other than Hyori, who had threatened to kill Toshiro if he stepped out the door, none of the Visoreds had attempted to stop him. He had given them his word that he would come back.

"I still think they'll help us when Aizen attacks, if for no other reason than revenge."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Rangiku was surprised when Chad entered the house alone.

"Where's Orihime?"

"She got detention for falling asleep in class," Chad answered.

"I see," Rangiku said. None of them had gotten a proper night's sleep after Shota had run away with her zanpakuto.

"She should be back in about an hour. How are Shota and Yui doing?"

"About as well as can be expected, under the circumstances. Yui's been very quiet. I guess she's just scared and overwhelmed."

Neither of them noticed Shota peering at them from behind the corner.

"If you don't mind my asking, why haven't you sent them on? I thought that was your job, and as long as they stay here they'll be in danger. Wouldn't they find their parents if they were sent on to the Soul Society?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," Rangiku answered. "There's no way of knowing exactly where in the Soul Society a soul will end up wen it is sent on. We can't even say for certain that their parents are in the same place, though it's more likely since they died together, and the konso is less reliable. We've decided that since they just found each other again we want to give them more time here before they have to be separated again."

Chad looked down in thought.

If he understood her correctly, people who died would not see their loved ones again unless they died at the exact same place and time.

All of their group had lost someone close to them, but even if they went back to the Soul Society to search, they would mostly likely never see their departed family again.

* * *

The sun had gone down when they heard the whistling noise again.

"That's the Arrancar!" Rukia said. She and Toshiro flash-stepped in the direction of the reiatsu which had suddenly appeared.

They found one of the clones bounding across the rooftops in the financial district.

The clone turned its head and spotted the two small Shinigami heading towards it. It leapt down onto the street below and turned into an alleyway.

Toshiro and Rukia landed in the alleyway, but the hollow was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Toshiro asked.

"I don't know," Rukia said. "Its reiatsu completely disappeared."

They heard moans of terror and looked at the nearby wall. A man in his thirties was sitting there with his head between his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

"A soul," Rukia said. "Maybe he saw where it went."

She bent down to talk to the soul. "Hey."

The soul nearly jumped out of his skin upon seeing Rukia.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know if you saw where that monster went to. We won't let it hurt you."

The soul shook his head and made whining noises.

Rukia looked to Toshiro. "It's no good. He's too frightened to even speak."

"I might as well just perform the konso. You keep an eye out in case it comes back."

"All right." Toshiro turned around.

'This doesn't make any sense,' he thought. 'Why would this Arrancar send just one clone? It knows one isn't a match for any of us. Was it hoping one would be able to avoid detection, or was it luring us – '

His thought was cut off when Rukia screamed.

Toshiro spun around. The clone was back and standing over Rukia, who had dropped her sword while attempting to perform the konso. The soul was nowhere to be seen.

His sword still sheathed on his back, Toshiro only had time to raise his finger as the hollow opened its mouth wide to eat Rukia.

"Hado number thirty one: Shakaho!"

A burst of red flame erupted from his finger, instantly incinerating the clone to ash.

Rukia rose and picked up her sword.

"That soul _was_ the clone."

She looked at Toshiro when he did not respond. His face was a mask of pure horror.

"Toshiro?"

"No, not again," he said softly.

He flash-stepped away, moving faster than she could follow.

* * *

Orihime arrived home just as Toshiro appeared, looking as angry as she had ever seen him.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, but he ignored her and ran into her house.

Only Chad was there.

"Where are Yui and Shota?" Toshiro demanded.

"They're not here," Chad answered. "Yui disappeared and Shota and Rangiku ran after her."

"Damn it," Toshiro muttered.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked. "Did something happen?"

Toshiro glared at her, and for a moment her old fear of him returned.

"If I'm right, then Yui was never here. She's been one of those clones all along."

"That can't be!" Orihime yelled. "That's impossible."

"What makes you think that?" Chad asked.

Toshiro clenched his teeth.

"Because the Grand Fisher pulled the exact same trick on me."

* * *

Rukia had the rest of the Shinigami gathered to discuss what they had learned.

"This is very disturbing," Ukitake said. "If what you say is true, then this hollow can disguise its clones as any of the souls it has eaten, and we can't track them when they are in that form."

He looked at Toshiro. "And you suspect that Yui is one of these clones."

Toshiro nodded. "My guess is that she was sent to spy on us so the Arrancar would know what we're planning and be able to stay a step ahead."

Ukitake turned to Rangiku, who had managed to bring the siblings back. "You said you had new information. Does it support Toshiro's theory?"

Rangiku looked troubled. "I'm afraid it does. What I've learned has led me to believe that Yui was the first person to encounter this Arrancar, and it doesn't seem possible for her to have escaped."

"I see." Ukitake rubbed his chin in thought. He chided himself for not suspecting this possibility earlier. His affinity for children had clouded his judgement.

"We'll have the Department of Research and Development analyze her spiritual composition. Until we get the results she'll stay secure in a kido barrier. If we're wrong we'll apologize."

Ikkaku leaned forward. "And if we're right?"

Ukitake gave them all a determined look. "If we're right then we'll find a way to turn this to our advantage. All along I've wanted to capture one of these clones alive. This could be the break we've been looking for."

* * *

Rukia tried to speak with Toshiro after the meeting, but he brushed her off, saying that he was tired. He went up to the roof to avoid everyone else and to sleep. Rukia could sense that he had put a kido barrier around himself so that he would not be caught off guard while he slept.

His proficiency with kido had clearly improved since she had taught him the basics, and not just because his power was so much greater than it had been in the two months they had hunted hollows together. He had been practicing.

As the Shinigami scattered again, Orihime and Chad approached Rukia.

They had been disturbed by Toshiro's anger earlier. But Rukia had seen that cold fury before, and it did not surprise her.

"Is it true?" Orihime asked. "Did another hollow really make a clone of Momo?"

Rukia looked away. She did not want to talk about this subject any more than Toshiro did. It was the second worst moment of her life, behind only the death of Kaien Shiba.

But she answered anyway. "It's true. The Grand Fisher used the image of Toshiro's sister to make him drop his guard. Its recreation was perfect, down to her voice."

She closed her eyes, remembering how the Grand Fisher had stabbed Toshiro in both shoulders and the chest.

"It nearly killed him."

Orihime covered her mouth with her hand. She had never imagined that either Toshiro or Rukia had gone through anything so horrible during that time.

"That's pure evil," Chad said.

"Yes," Rukia replied, "that's exactly what the Grand Fisher was. And that's what we're facing right now."

* * *

Toshiro was walking near the river, his sister by his side.

He saw a girl who was smaller than he was standing by the water's edge.

"Momo, what's that girl doing?" he asked.

He looked up at Momo, who had not replied. She looked at him with a confused expression.

Toshiro looked back at the girl, but she had disappeared.

"Hey, where'd she go?"

He turned to Momo, who was now grinning maniacally.

"Momo?"

As Toshiro watched, Momo's mouth grew inhumanly wide and began to fill with hundreds of long, sharp teeth. She leaned down, her arms growing into long, powerful forelimbs and her body becoming covered in brown fur. Though she now stood on all fours, she still towered over him.

Toshiro was frozen in horror as the thing which had once been his sister lunged forward with its mouth wide open to swallow him whole.

"Ahhh!"

He awoke with a start.

'Just a dream,' he told himself. He was covered in a cold sweat and shaking. 'It was just a dream.'

But even as he calmed down, several horrible ideas entered his mind.

He removed his kido barrier and leapt off the roof so he could enter the house. Orihime was bounding down the stairs, having been awoken by his shout.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened now?"

"Hopefully nothing," Toshiro answered.

They opened the door to the living room, where Rangiku was supposed to be watching the siblings.

The lieutenant was sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. The kids were nowhere to be seen.

Orihime bent down and began to shake Rangiku.

"Rangiku, wake up!"

Rangiku blinked several times and looked at Orihime with a groggy expression,

"Huh? Orihime? What's the matter?"

"Where are Yui and Shota?" Orihime asked frantically.

"Yui and-" Rangiku snapped awake and looked at the area where Ukitake had set up a kido barrier to keep Yui inside. There was nothing there except a child's sleeping bag.

"It can't be," she whispered. "How could those kids break through that barrier?"

Toshiro looked down and scowled. "I'm an idiot."

Orihime and Rangiku both looked at him. "What do you mean?" Orihime asked. "What's going on?"

"I should have realized when she ran away earlier. Yui's primary purpose wasn't to spy on us. It was to lure Shota away so the hollow could eat him!"

The two redheads exchanged horrified looks.

"That's it," Rangiku said. "Yui couldn't break a captain's kido barrier by herself, even if she is a clone. She used Shota's power to help her. That hollow was after them because of their high spirit energy!"

"And it became so powerful," she added gravely, "because it consumed Yui's spirit energy."

* * *

Yui led Shota to the section of the park where the crater had been formed by the arrival of the Espada several weeks ago.

"Hey, Yui, what are we doing back here?" Shota asked nervously.

"What's the matter?" Yui responded. She was more cheerful than she had been at any point since they were reunited.

"I thought we were gonna look for Mom and Dad."

Yui turned away and walked towards the crater, the same smile on her face.

"It's ok. Just come with me."

"Shota!"

The children turned to see Toshiro and Rangiku appear behind them

"You were right," Toshiro told Rangiku. "They did come back to the park."

"Listen, Shota," Rangiku said seriously, "it's dangerous here. You've got to come back with us."

Yui did not turn to look at them as she spoke.

"Don't get in my way."

"Yui?" Shota asked as his little sister became surrounded by a red glow.

"What's going on?" Matsumoto asked. "Her reiatsu is tremendous, much higher than the clones."

Yui turned to face them with glowing red eyes, producing a wind so intense it knocked Shota over and blew Rangiku back several paces.

Toshiro drew his sword as dozens of clones appeared around them.

'What is she?' he wondered. 'Could she be the original hollow?'

The majority of the clones surrounded Toshiro, cutting him off from Rangiku and Shota.

He began to cut through them one by one, but more of them appeared every second, giving him no room to perform a flash-step.

"Come here," Yui told her her brother.

The whistling noise started again, and Shota began to slowly walk towards Yui.

"What's happening?" he asked in fear. "Why are my legs moving on their own?"

"Shota!" Rangiku yelled as she was cut off by another group of clones.

Shota was helpless as he continued to walk forward against his will.

"What are you doing, Yui? YUI!" he yelled.

Yui gasped. Her eyes returned to their normal color, and the red glow around her faded.

Released from her control, Shota fell to the ground.

"Yui?"

"No … Don't come any closer," the girl said in a trembling voice.

She clutched her chest in pain.

"Yui, what's wrong?" Shota asked.

She began to glow again.

"STAY AWAY!" she yelled.

Meanwhile, Toshiro was still dealing with the mass of clones around him.

Having had enough, he held out his palm and yelled "Hado number thirty three: Sokatsui!"

A blast of blue energy ripped through the clones in front of him, finally giving him space to maneuver.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

Toshiro swung his sword in a horizontal arc, enveloping most of the clones around him and Rangiku.

The two Shinigami looked at the siblings. A large shadow had appeared behind Yui.

"Run!" Yui yelled. She pushed Shota away just as the massive figure buried its claws in the ground where he had been sitting.

"So that's the original Arrancar," Rangiku said.

It looked very similar to the clones, but it was over three times there size and a pair of human eyes could be seen inside its mouth. Its forelimbs were laong, muscular arms with man-sized claws.

"You have to listen, run!" Yui shouted at her brother.

"I'm not going to run away again!" Shota shouted back. "I'm going to protect you!"

"It's too late for that!"

Yui screamed and collapsed on all fours. Her body turned into another clone.

Toshiro and Rangiku both flash-stepped in front of Shota as the Arrancar absorbed all the surviving clones in the area and powered up.

"You watch him, while I kill it," Toshiro told Rangiku.

"What's this?" the Arrancar asked. "You think you can defeat me all by yourself, kid?"

"I don't think, hollow," Toshiro replied as he raised his sword. "I know."

The Arrancar took a step back in apprehension as it began to sense the power radiating off of Toshiro.

"Who are you, boy?"

"You don't know who I am?" Toshiro asked. "Then you really aren't one of Aizen's."

Shota grabbed Toshiro's arm just before he could swing his sword.

"Wait! Yui's still in there!"

"It's too late for her, Shota," Toshiro said.

"But she's alive!" Shota screamed. "She tried to save me just now!"

Before Toshiro could respond, the Arrancar leapt into the air and disappeared into aportal.

"Hahahah. Too bad. You missed your best chance to kill me, boy. As long as I'm in this subspace, you won't be able to find me, but I can hide my reiatsu, attack souls and make as many clones as I want."

The sky was suddenly filled with clones of the hollow, hundreds, if not thousands of them.

Toshiro, Rangiku, and Shota looked up in horror. Even Toshiro did not know if he could defeat that many clones.

"Toshiro!"

Ukitake, Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika all appeared.

"We came as soon as we sensed the Arrancar's power," Ukitake said.

"It's no wonder there was no end to them," Ikkaku said as he surveyed the army above them.

The Arrancar roared in triumph. "Try as you might, you'll never be able to defeat them all! There aren't even enough souls in this town to feed all of them, so I'll just have to have them eat living humans instead."

The hollows turned and leapt off in all directions.

Ukitakje turned to his men. "Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika. You go and deal with those clones. Do whatever you have to to protect the civilians. Rangiku, Toshiro, and I will deal with the main body."

"Right."

They flash-stepped away, each in a different direction.

"Sir," Rangiku said, "the Arrancar said that it's hiding in an area of subspace."

"I know," Ukitake replied. "The Department of Research and Development is working on a way to locate it as we speak."

* * *

Multiple battles were being raged across town against the clones.

In the residential district, Orihime and Chad stood back to back as they protected homes from the onslaught. Chad's blasts took out up to ten clones at a time.

While Tzubaki could only kill one hollow at a time, Orihime's shield could protect an entire house and prevent any number of clones from breaking through,

Renji had followed a large group to the area around Urahara's shop. With Zabimaru in its released state he was also capable of destroying multiple clones at once.

Rukia had gone to protect the area around Karakura high school. She found the most effective way of combatting so many opponents at once was to use kido, and so was firing off repeated blasts of the sokatsui spell.

Ikkaku and Yumichika had gone to the financial district. They fought as they were taught in the Eleventh division, with pure swordplay.

* * *

Ukitake was on the phone with his contacts in the Soul Society. Rangiku knelt down to comfort Shota, who was sobbing over his sister's fate.

"Shota, I want to tell you about this hollow we've been fighting. Hollows are fallen souls. Our duties as Shinigami are not just saving souls, but purifying and saving hollows as well. Our zanpakuto cleanse the spirits within the hollows of their sins so they can be reborn. When we defeat this Arrancar, all of the souls it consumed will be sent to the Soul Society."

Ukitake removed his phone from his ear for a moment to think. Ordinarily a soul which was consumed by a hollow would itself become a hollow in turn. But the way this Arrancar absorbed souls to increase its power seemed to prevent that from taking place. In all likelihood Rangiku was right.

"I'm so sorry that we couldn't protect your sister," Rangiku said, "but it's not too late. We can still save Yui's soul."

Toshiro put his hand on Shota's shoulder. "She's right. You say Yui's still in there, somewhere. This is the only way to get her out."

"All right," Ukitake said, putting away his phone. "We have an idea of where the Arrancar is."

* * *

The river.

Toshiro grimaced as they ran past the river's bank. Going to the narrow section of the river that cut through the park had been one thing, but this wider section which cut through the town itself was an area he had avoided for the last two years.

It was the site of his first true encounter with a hollow, where he had first tried to save a young girl.

It was the site where he had suffered the greatest loss of his young life.

"So how do we find the Arrancar?" Rangiku asked as they ran. She was carrying Shota on her back.

"According to the data we've collected, the Arrancar has to stay connected to this world to control its clones and receive the energy of the souls they consume," Ukitake said. "So it's hiding nearby behind a subspace barrier. If we hit that barrier with enough spiritual energy we should be able to brake it and flush the enemy out."

"That's where you come in, Toshiro. Your powers are best suited for that sort of thing. When it comes out, Rangiku and I will finish it off."

"I understand," Toshiro replied.

He held up his sword arm.

"Bankai!"

Toshiro was quickly enveloped in his ice wings and flew up. He hovered over the river in front of the largest bridge in town.

He closed his eyes. The last time he was in that location, he had gotten his sister killed. Far more lives were at stake now. He had to keep his power under complete control even as he released it. There was no margin for error, no room for a single mistake.

Toshiro screamed as he released a burst of power in all directions.

Dark clouds gathered overhead. The entire river instantly froze over, as did the grass along the river's banks.

Within its barrier, the Arrancar was buffeted by the sudden release of reiatsu.

"What's this?" it asked. "Is it that little Shinigami from before? How did he figure out I was by the river?"

"It doesn't matter," the hollow assured itself. "He won't be able to find me just by aimlessly releasing his reiatsu!"

Rangiku moved farther away with Shota to protect the boy from Toshiro's reiatsu. Shota may have had strong spirit energy, but he could not stand up to the reiatsu of a captain-level Shinigami in Bankai form.

Toshiro continued to release his reiatsu in short bursts, afraid to release too much at once. But as the minutes passed he grew more and more exhausted. He was expending a great deal of energy in addition to the toll his Bankai was beginning to take on his body.

"It's no good," Rangiku said as they watched. "He needs to know where it is so he can hit it with a concentrated attack."

Ukitake frowned. 'And Toshiro's the only one of us here whose power isn't limited to twenty percent right now. If he can't break through there's no way I'll be able to without gentei kaijou, and that will take far too long to get approved!'

He looked up as a now-familiar whistling noise began to fill the air.

"That noise again."

"It's Yui!" Shota said excitedly.

"Where's it coming from?" Rangiku asked.

Shota listened. He had heard his sister play her ocarina many times, and often knew where to find her by the sound.

He pointed at an area in the sky high above the bridge. "It's there!"

"Toshiro!" Rangiku yelled, pointing at the same place. "Concentrate your power on that spot!"

Toshiro turned to the location they directed and pointed his zanpakuto at the source of the whistling noise. A bolt of lightning released from the tip, creating an explosion where it struck the barrier.

When the smoke cleared, the Arrancar floated there, exposed.

"How dare you!" the Arrancar screamed. "You'll pay for that!"

It drew its massive sword.

"Crush him to bits, Dientise!"

The Arrancar released its zanpakuto. When its transformation was complete, it had grown several times larger.

The top half of its mask had disappeared. Its arms had grown and were now shaped like clubs which large spikes. And it had a new, snake-like taile with was more than twice as long as the rest of its body.

"Prepare to die, boy!"

But before the Arrancar could attack, Ukitake appeared between it and Toshiro.

"I'm your opponent now, Arrancar."

"Who are you?" the hollow demanded.

"I'm the captain of Squad Thirteen, Jushiro Ukitake!"

"A captain!" the Arrancar exclaimed in fright.

Ukitake drew his sword.

"All waves, rise now and become my shield, Lightning, strike now and become my blade, Sōgyo no Kotowari!"

Ukitake's zanpakuto split into two blades connected by a chain.

The captain and Arrancar launched themselves at each other. The Arrancar swung both of its massive arms, but Ukitake was able to block both blows with his twin blades.

Ukitake leapt above the Arrancar and sliced at the base of its tail with both swords, cutting it off completely.

With its tail severed, the Arrancar was unable to remain in midair and fell into the icy river below.

"What's going on?" it asked as it struggled to escape the ice. "Why won't my legs move?"

Seeing that the hollow was trapped, Ukitake turned to Rangiku. "Finish it off now!" he yelled.

Rangiku drew her sword. "Hold onto the handle of my zanpakuto," she told Shota. "We're going to save your sister together."

"Right," Shots said as he grabbed the hilt.

They leapt into the air, coming down straight onto the hollow.

"I won't be defeated by you!" the Arrancar yelled. But even it knew its protestations were in vain. With its limbs completely entrapped in ice, there was nothing it could do as Rangiku's zanpakuto pierced its skull.

* * *

All across Karakura Town, the clones all disappeared at once.

Each of the Shinigami sheathed their blades and looked in the direction of the river in satisfaction.

"They did it," Chad said.

"Of course they did," Orihime said with a big smile. "Toshiro was fighting alongside a captain. There's no way they'd lose."

* * *

Hundreds of little blue lights emerged from the Arrancar's body as it dissolved into nothingness.

"Look, Rangiku said as the lights rose into the sky. "All the souls the ollow devoured are being released."

Toshiro and Ukitake both sheathed their swords as they landed. Shota bent down to look at something which had fallen when the hollow faded away.

It was Yui's ocarina.

He started to cry.

"Rangiku," he asked, "Yui got to go to the Soul Society, didn't she? She can be reborn now, right?"

Rangiku smiled at him and nodded.

"That's right."

He turned to her with a determined look. "Then I want to go there as well."

Rangiku stepped forward to perform the konso.

"All right."

* * *

Head Captain Yamamoto was most pleased when he spoke to them on the large screen in Orihime's living room.

"Excellent work, Captain Ukitake. This cloning Arrancar could have grown into a serious threat if it was allowed to keep consuming souls."

"It was a team effort, Head Captain," Ukitake responded. "Without Toshiro and his friends, we may never have figured out how to stop it."

Yamamoto addressed the three humans in the back of the room.

"I extend my thanks to you as well, Chad Yasutora, Orihime Inoue, and Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Now that this matter has been dealt with, we can redirect our efforts back to preparing for the upcoming battle with Aizen," the leader of the Shinigami declared.

"I have decided to train the Shinigami with me in order to increase their battle power for that day," Ukitake said. "None of them are at their peak yet. I recommend that all squads do the same."

"Very good, Captain Ukitake," Yamamoto said before ending the transmission.

Ukitake turned to Toshiro. "Is that what you've been doing all this time, training to become stronger?"

Toshiro nodded. "I'm afraid I have to get back to it now, but when Aizen makes his move I'll be ready."

Ukitake nodded back at him. "We'll try to be ready as well."

All of the Shinigami began to leave except for Rukia and Rangiku.

As they left, Orihime turned to Toshiro.

"Are you all right?"

Toshiro sighed. "This whole thing brought back a lot of bad memories. But it's also reminded me of how far I've come since then. I'll be fine."

He turned to Rukia and for a moment he looked unsure of himself. A question had been weighing on his mind since his nightmare earlier."

"Rukia, there's … " he began, but stopped himself.

"What is it?" Rukia asked. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Forget it," he said. "I've decided I don't want to know the answer. Either way, there's nothing I can do about it."

Rukia looked at him thoughtfully. "All right."

Toshiro then turned to Rangiku.

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"What for?" Rangiku asked, genuinely taken aback.

"I thought you were just an airhead who didn't take anything seriously. But today I saw that you really do care."

Rangiku smiled. "And I suppose I should apologize for treating you like a child and not an ally."

She held out her hadn. "Let's start over."

Toshiro reached out and shook her hand. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"I'm Rangiku Matsdumoto. I look forward to working with you again in the future, Toshiro."

* * *

 _Author's note. There was one vote to go for this 'filler' chapter compared to none against. I ended up deciding to go for it because I wanted to have one instance where Toshiro and the Shinigami worked together when they were all in Karakura. It took a while, both because of things that kept me from writing and because it was one of the more difficult chapters to write_


	33. Chapter 33

The throne room was dark, darker than most of Las Noches.

The Arrancar did not know why their lord kept it so. He did not need the dark to instill fear.

Perhaps, after over a century of pretending to live in the light, Aizen Sosuke was simply savoring the opportunity to show his true colors.

When the mighty doors of the throne room opened, the area was bathed in the bright light of the hallway outside. Several Arrancar, including a few of the powerful Espada, shielded their eyes from the sudden brightness.

Aizen turned to those who had entered and smiled as if there had been no change in the room's lighting.

"Ulquiorra, Yammy, welcome."

He turned away again as the two Espada entered. They saw that they were the last to arrive.

The doors closed, bathing the throne room in darkness again.

Aizen stood in front of a small figure covered from head to toe in bandages.

"It won't be long now," he said in a slow, deep voice.

The Espada had become used to the tone Aizen always used when addressing them, a tone of satisfaction, as if everything was going according to plan.

He held out a small crystal ball, the same device he had ripped from Rukia Kuchiki's body the day he left the Soul Society.

"The Hogyoku will awaken exactly when the Soul Society expects it to. But it has abilities they don't know about. I doubt even Kisuke Urahara, the man who invented it, knows about it."

The Hogyoku began to glow. "If someone with twice the spirit energy of a captain were to join with it, the Hogyoku's full power would be awakened for a brief period, even if it is still in a dormant state."

The bandages on the creatures were suddenly torn apart, revealing a new, fully formed Arrancar.

Aizen put the Hogyoku away and addressed the small figure sitting on the floor in front of him.

"Can you tell me your name, new comrade?"

The new Arrancar turned his head slightly in confusion, but it answered.

"Wonderweiss … Wonderweiss Margela."

Aizen smiled and turned his head to Ulquiorra.

"Do you remember the order I gave you approximately one month ago?"

"Of course, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra responded.

"The time has come to carry it out. I will even give you the choice of taking whomever you like with you."

"Thank you, sir."

Aizen walked away from Wonderweiss and towards his throne. He stopped and looked at a figure who sat apart from the Espada.

"Would you like to go as well, Grimmjow?"

The blue-haired former Espada hissed.

* * *

Rukia did not come to school that day.

It was to be expected. Captain Ukitake had summoned all of the Shinigami under his command for special training, and Rukia would not disobey a direct order.

But with Toshiro still replaced by Zilla and Uryu still absent altogether, only Orihime and Chad were left in their class from those who had been in the Soul Society and knew about the Arrancar.

Orihime and Chad decided not to sit together for lunch. They did not want people assuming they were a couple, and the school rumor mill already had enough to say about their little 'club.'

Orihime sat down next to Tatsuki, who looked away with an awkward expression.

"So, um, "hi?" Orihime said nervously, trying to start up a conversation.

"Hi," Tatsuki responded. Orihime could tell she was still upset about their last conversation.

"Listen, do you want to go with me to the mall after school?" Orihime asked.

Tatsuki turned to look at her.

"You're not to 'busy?'"

"Nope!" Orihime declared. "I've got a day off."

Orihime smiled and assumed the cheerful, fast-paced tone which had been her default mode of communication before she had been drawn into the world of Shinigami and hollows. "This is a one-time offer. I can't be sure when I'll have free time like this again."

Tatsuki smiled. "All right. I'll meet you at the mall after I've dropped my stuff off at home."

"Great! I wonder if they've got any new stores, or maybe the arcade has some new games!"

* * *

"I'm bored!" Mashiro complained.

"What's there to be bored about?" Shinji asked her in a bored tone of voice himself. "It's not like you've been doing anything other than sitting there when we train."

"But watching you guys fight is exciting, at least! Now there's nothing going on, and I'm so bored!"

Shinji looked over at where Toshiro and Hachi were talking. 'Nothing indeed,' he thought.

"As I'm sure you're aware from your own zanpakuto," Hachi was explaining to the boy, "a chain requires a throwing motion to wrap around its target. You should think of it as a solid object, subject to the same laws of physics."

"I think I understand," Toshiro responded. He looked at a dummy Hachi had set up for practicing.

He began to slowly recite the incantation before thrusting his arm at the dummy.

"Bakudo Number 63: Sajō Sabaku!"

A chain of yellow energy burst forth from Toshiro's palm and wrapped itself around the dummy many times.

"Marvelous!" Hachi yelled happily. "You've done it!"

Toshiro closed and opened his hand several times. Unlike the chain of his zanpakuto, the kido did not require him to hold onto the end of the chain to keep his opponent trapped. While it meant that he could not pull or throw them, it also meant that he could use the spell from a greater distance and that it could not be used against him the way Renji had used Hyorinmaru's chain to spin Toshiro around and throw him into a wall.

"Now let's see if I can do it without the incantation," he said.

Shinji turned away from watching them. Heyawned and decided to lie down.

'I guess I know how he skipped two years of school and still remained top of his class,' he thought. 'Kid doesn't know how to stop working for two seconds.'

No one could train all day, every day. Toshiro had trained like that in order to achieve Bankai, but that had been for only three days, and he had pushed himself to the absolute limit doing so. His training with the Visoreds had lasted a full month so far, and would presumably have another three months to go before the final confrontation.

They needed to take extended breaks after several hours of fighting. The body had limits beyond which there was no point in pushing. It was an aspect of training all Shinigami knew.

But Toshiro was not content to simply rest during those periods between hollowification training sessions. He had found in Hachi another way in which he could improve his skill by furthering his mastery of kido.

The former second in command of the Kido Corps was happy to teach his craft to another.

It was not the most well-rounded education, as Hachi specialized in Bakudo and healing spells. He was not comfortable with purely offensive kido. In addition, Toshiro found that he was not good at casting healing spells.

Over the previous month Toshiro had learned Bakudo spells of increasing level and power and was now practicing sixties-level incantations. And as his understanding of the theory behind kido grew, so too did the power of his hado spells and the control he had over them.

In Shinji's opinion, Aizen had made a grave mistake in setting the time for his battle with the Shinigami. Four months was an eternity for someone as young as Toshiro Hitsugaya to improve his skills. There was no telling what the boy would be capable of if he kept going at the same pace after another few months.

* * *

"Aaaawwaaaa!"

Yumichika was screaming and cursing as he repeatedly struck a large stone sticking out of the ground with his zanpakuto.

"What's the matter?" Renji asked him.

"My Fuji Kukaku is such an obnoxious snob! He's so bossy and he thinks that he's the best looking guy in the whole world! I hate him!"

"Join the club," Renji said. "My Zabimaru is an arrogant, stubborn prick who won't take no for an answer and is constantly insulting me."

Rukia opened her eyes where she had been meditating. "Didn't you achieve Bankai, Renji? And you still can't get along with your zanpakuto?"

"Lucky for me Zabimaru is as obsessed with strength and fighting as I am," Renji responded. "He's still a pain in the ass though."

Of all the Shinigami gathered in the park, only Captain Ukitake did not have any problems with his zanpakuto or react to those who did.

They were attempting to commune with the spirits in their swords, to strengthen the bond between warrior and weapon. A zanpakuto's personality usually reflected the personality of the Shinigami who wielded it, a fact which often led to conflict between the two.

Ukitake seemed completely at ease despite the shouts of his subordinates. So Ikkaku was surprised when the captain suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the sky with a troubled expression.

"What is it, sir?"

"Something's wrong," Ukitake said. "There's a disturbance in the air."

The Shinigami stopped their arguments and looked at the sky as well in apprehension.

A tear appeared in the sky, at first forming a horizontal black line.

"A garganta!" Ukitake yelled, causing the Shinigami to assume their battle stances.

The tear in the sky began to rip itself open vertically, revealing a black void.

Four figures dressed in white stepped into the mouth of the void. The force of their power instantly caused the air to become heavy across the whole of Karakura town.

"Four Arrancars?" Yumichika asked in trepidation. "They're a little early, aren't they?"

"They are," Ukitake agreed. "But we don't have time to wonder about why right now. All that matters is that we stop them."

* * *

The reiatsu passed through Chad and Orihime like a shockwave, even though they were both in their homes, far away from where the Arrancar had appeared.

Chad wiped away the sweat which had just formed on his forehead and ran out of his house.

Orihime put down the purse she had just prepared for her trip to the mall and looked at it sadly.

'I'm sorry, Tatsuki,' she thought. 'Looks like I won't be able to make it.'

* * *

Yammi smiled as he looked out over the edge of the garganta.

"Looks like we picked a good place to show up. There are a bunch of people with strong reiatsus down there."

A smaller Arrancar with black hair bent down to get a better look. "Those are Shinigami. They must be the reinforcements from the Soul Society Mr. Six told us about."

He looked back at Grimmjow. "Right?"

Grimmjow ignored him and looked to the side. His torso was covered in scars from the burns he had suffered in his last fight, and his left arm was missing, having been cut off in punishment for his earlier willful actions.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. I meant the _former_ six," the small Arrancar taunted.

"Watch it, Luppi," Grimmjow growled.

"Besides," he said, "the guy I'm looking to kill isn't even down there with them."

Grimmjow leapt out of the garganta and shot forward to search the town for his prey.

As he left, the other Arrancar could see what remained of the number six tatoo on his back, and how it was mostly covered by burn scars.

Once Grimmjow was gone, Yammi clenched his fist in frustration. "The guy I want to kill isn't down there either?"

"And which one was that?" Luppi asked. "The one who tore off your arm or the one who broke your jaw?"

Yammi grinned. "Both of them."

The large Arrancar leapt at the Shinigami. Ukitake rose to meet him, and the two locked blades.

"I'm Jushiro Ukitake, Captain of Squad Thirteen," the white-haired captin told his opponent.

"A captain, huh? I'm Arrancar Ten, better know as Yammi."

Ukitake's eyes widened. "Ten? Then that means you're an Espada!"

The other Shinigami surrounded Lupi, who had emerged from the garganta in a slower manner than his comrades.

"What about you?" Yumichika asked. "Are you also an Espada?"

"That's right," the black-haired Arrancar answered. "My name is Luppi. I'm ranked number six."

As the garganta closed behind him Rukia noticed a fourth figure emerge. The blonde Arrancar ignored them, becoming distracted by several passing birds.

"Hey, you see that one?" she said softly to Renji.

"Yeah. What do you suppose up with him?"

"I don't know, but his power seems to be around the same as these two. We'd better keep an eye on him in case he tries something while we're fighting the others."

"So there's five of you, huh?" Luppi said, looking at all the Shinigami. "I hope at least one of you can put up a decent fight."

* * *

Kensei, Love, and Rose were blocking the exit to the Visored's hideout.

"You are not leaving in the middle of your training again," Kensei declared.

"I don't have time for a debate," Toshiro said angrily. "Get out of my way or I'll make you move."

"This is what your friends from the Soul Society are here for!" Love yelled.

"And they only brought one captain. That will never be enough against four enemies like these. I've fought two of these powers before. I know just how powerful they are.

"If you're so worried about me," Toshiro said, "why don't you all come out and help?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Shinji said.

Toshiro turned around. "What?"

Shinji put his hands in his pockets and leaned back against a large boulder as he explained.

"We hate Aizen, but we also hate Shinigami. We have no beef with the Arrancar, so there's no reason for us to get involved now.

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but we're not risking our necks for anyone who isn't one of us."

Toshiro glared at Shinji for what seemed an eternity.

"Then I guess I'm not one of you," he said at last.

Shinji nodded. "Let him go," he told his fellow former captains.

"Are you nuts?" Kensei yelled.

"You heard the man," Shinji said. "He's not one of us. There's no reason for him to be here any longer."

Kensei scowled, but he and the others parted, allowing Toshiro to run past them.

* * *

Toshiro flash-stepped across the city.

One of the Arrancar had broken away from the others and was heading for more populated areas. That alone would have compelled Toshiro to go after him even if the substitute Shinigami did not recognize his foe's reiatsu.

Grimmjow turned and began heading in Toshiro's direction soon after the boy had emerged from the Visoreds' hideout.

They met in the air over a residential neighborhood.

"There you are, Shinigami," Grimmjow said. "I've been looking for you."

The first thing Toshiro noticed were the scars on Grimmjow's torso. He had not seen a healer after their last encounter, allowing the burns to fester until they became a series of scars.

The next thing Toshiro realized was that the Arrancar's body had become asymmetrical, with the left sleeve of his jacket flopping uselessly in the air.

"What happened to your arm?" Toshiro asked. "Was Aizen really that angry you disobeyed his orders last time?"

"I just got rid of it," Grimmjow retorted. "I only need one arm to beat the likes of you."

"Is that so?" Toshiro could feel Hyorinmaru growing restless on his back. The sword was practically begging to have another go at the hollow who defeated them before.

'Just a bit longer, Hyorinmaru,' he thought.

"Tell me something. This time, are you actually following orders?"

"Lord Aizen did order this mission," Grimmjow said. "But he didn't order me to come along. I'm here to finish our fight from last time."

"I see."

Toshiro drew his sword.

"Bankai!"

Grimmjow grinned as his jacket and hair rustled in the wind produced as powered up.

Toshiro's ice wings glistened in the sunlight as he glared at Grimmjow with cold determination.

"You seem awfully confident for someone who went down after a single blow the last time we tussled," Grimmjow observed. "Did you hit your head when I smashed you into the ground?"

"A lot of things can change in a month," Toshiro responded. "This time you'll be the one who goes down after a single attack."

"Pretty big talk coming from such a weak little runt."

Toshiro raised his hand over his face.

'I can't sustain my hollowification for even a minute,' he thought, 'which means I can't give him any opportunity to counter-attack.'

He dragged his hand across his face, summoning his hollow mask.

Grimmjow gasped as he sensed both the surge in Toshiro's power and the change in its composition.

"What the hell is that?" he demanded.

Toshiro glared at him with eyes which glowed red behind a white mask. Two horns, each about an inch long, struck out of the forehead, while blue markings lined both sides of the mask.

"I wouldn't explain it to you even if I had the time," the boy said in a distorted, almost demonic-sounding voice.

In a movement which was almost to swift for Grimmjow to see, Toshiro's sword went from being held at his side to being pointed directly at the Arrancar's chest.

Grimmjow had no time to even draw his sword as his world went completely white.

A tremendous torrent of lightning burst forth from the tip of Hyorinmaru, striking Grimmjow with its full intensity.

The previous times Toshiro had used his lightning attack, it had been a single bolt launched in the blink of an eye, and over just as quickly. This attack was larger, being powered by his hollow form, and sustained.

* * *

As Grimmjow screamed in agony, the bright lightning could be seen across Karakura Town, by Chad and Orihime, who were each several blocks from their houses, and by the Arrancar and Shinigami fighting over the park.

Orihime stopped when she saw the bright light.

'That's where Toshiro is,' she thought.

'What do I do? Do I go over to where he is to try to help him? Or do I go to where everyone else is fighting?'

"Come with me, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime froze. A lump formed in her throat as she slowly turned to face the figure which had appeared behind her.

'The one from before,' she realized, remembering the day Yammi beat them all up in the park.

"No one is coming to help you," Ulquiorra Cifer said. "I have kept my reiatsu hidden, and your friends are all busy with their own battles."

The Espada was partially hidden in shadow as he spoke. He stepped forward, and Orihime's eyes widened in shock and terror at what she saw.

* * *

Toshiro's lightning lasted a little over fifteen seconds, but it seemed an eternity to Grimmjow.

When at last the onslaught ended, smoke and steam rose from his torso, which was burned beyond recognition.

He let out a soft moan and collapsed backwards, plummeting to the street below.

Grimmjow landed on his back in the middle of the street. He took several deep breaths before his eyes opened as wide as they could as Toshiro descended towards him at high speeds with a large spear made of ice in his left hand.

Toshiro stabbed the ice spear into Grimmjow's palm, pinning the Arrancar's one remaining arm to the pavement. Grimmjow let out a soft scream, being unable to raise his voice with the damage to his lungs and vocal cords.

Toshiro followed up by pointing his sword at Grimmjow's legs, unleashing a torrent of ice which bound the Arrancar's remaining limbs to the ground.

Toshiro then raised his hand to his face and withdrew his mask. He allowed his Bankai to dissipate and sat down. He was breathing heavily after using his Bankai and mask together for the first time.

"What the – " Grimmjow croaked. He strained to make his voice audible. "Why aren't you finishing me off?"

"I thought about it," Toshiro answered, "and if you still had both arms, I would have. But when I saw I only needed to worry about one arm, I figured capturing you would be the better option."

"I think the Soul Society could learn a lot from having a live Espada to study."

* * *

Luppi continued to stare at the site of the lightning even after it faded.

"Looks like Grimmjaw bit off more than he could chew. Oh well, it's no big loss."

Rukia and Rangiku attempted to attack him while he was distracted, but the Espada just swatted them away with one hand.

"This is boring. You're all so weak."

"Try this on!" Renji yelled. "Roar, Zabimaru!"

He launched the many-sectioned blade at Zuppi, but the Arrancar batted the attack away.

Renji cursed under his breath. The last one of Aizen's Arrancars he had faced had done the same thing to his Shikai, but that had been when he was fighting with his energy sealed to 20%. This Arrancar had done the same thing when Renji was fighting at full power.

"Are you really all just going to attack one or two at a time?" Luppi complained. "This will be so much less boring if I just took out all five at you at once."

"Did he say means to take us all out with one attack?" Rukia asked nervously.

Luppi reached for his sword.

"Strangle, Trepadora."

Not far away, Captain Ukitake continued his fight with Yammi.

Ukitake was faster than the large Espada, but Yammi's sheer physical strength was keeping the captain on the defensive.

Ukitake blocked a powerful overhand blow. The impact sent him sliding back almost ten meters.

Yammi grinned and raised his fist. Sparks of energy crackled between his fingers and his entire fist began to glow red.

Ukitake's eyes widened as Yammi unleashed the attack in an unbelievably fast projectile. He just dodged it.

"What was that?" Ukitake demanded. "That wasn't a cero."

"That was a bala," Yammi exclaimed excitedly. "It's not as strong as a cero, but it doesn't need to be, because it's twenty times faster!"

He launched another bala, and immediately had to shield his face from another energy attack.

Yammi lowered his singed arms and glared at Ukitake, who had summoned his double-bladed shikai.

"What was that?" the Arrancar demanded.

"Care to try again and find out?" Ukitake taunted him.

"All right," Yammi said, firing off a third bala. This time a similar attack struck him directly in the face.

"I've had it," Yammi growled. He opened his mouth and began to power up a cero.

When he fired the blast, it too was redirected back at him. The larger, more powerful attack completely enveloped the tenth Espada.

Ukitake watched as the smoke around Yammi slowly dissipated. The Arranca's clothes were torn had he had suffered numerous burns.

"I'm impressed," Ukitake said. "Your hiero must be something else to have taken so little damage from that cero."

:Why you – are you saying you can fire ceros?" Yammi yelled in frystration.

Ukitake pointed his sword at him. "Maybe. One thing is certain. You'll never beat me with those projectile attacks."

* * *

Luppi's Resurrección had formed eight long, white tentacles which emerged from his back. He immediately launched all eight tentacles at the five Shinigami.

Renji grabbed Rukia and leapt out of the way of the tentacles with her. But Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku were all captured by Luppi's tentacles.

"That's too bad," Luppi said, grinning maniacally. "I'd hoped to catch you all in that first move. But it really doesn't make a difference. You never stood a chance with odds of eight against five."

Rukia held out her palm. "Hado number 33: Sokatsui!"

Luppi held out one tentacle to block the kido spell.

"Why did the Soul Society even bother sending people as weak as all of you?" he wondered.

"Renji," Rukia said. "I've got an idea, but for it to work I need you to keep him distracted with your Bankai."

"I think I can do that," Renji said.

"If this works, you'll have a few seconds in which to hit him with everything you've got."

"Right." Renji raised his sword and yelled "Bankai! Hihiō Zabimaru!"

"A Bankai, huh?" Luppi asked. "Maybe you will be a little fun after all."

Luppi launched all five of his free tentacles at Renji, whose skeletal snake weapon was forced back by the onslaught.

Renji was forced the surround himself with his Bankai to keep the tentacles out.

"Come on!" Luppi yelled. "Is this all a Shinigami's Bankai is capable of?"

In his focus on Renji and his Bankai, Luppi had completely forgotten about Rukia, who slipt behind him.

"Tsugi no mai: Hakuren!"

Luppi turned his head just in time to see a wave of ice strike him from behind. The attack froze the base of the tentacles on his back, limiting their movement.

"Now! Rukia yelled.

Renji threw his sword forward.

"Hikotsu Taiho!"

Red energy traveled up Zabimaru's body, becoming visible between the joints. The snake baboon skull opened its mouth, releasing a massive energy beam directly at Luppi.

Had Renji struck a second later, Luppi would have been able to free himself from Rukia's ice and block the attack with his tentacles. But he reacted fast enough that his attack struck true. Luppi screamed as he was enveloped in a massive explosion.

The tentacles let go of Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku.

"Thanks Renji," Rangiku said.

"Don't mention it," Renji said, looking at the smoke cloud his attack had created.

"THAT HURT!"

All the Shinigamis' eyes widened in fright as the smoke cleared.

Luppi was leaning forward and clutching his chest. Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth. But all eight tentacles spun around wildly, and he glared at the Shinigami with an intense hatred.

"You-you'll pay for that! You'll all pay!"

"You're kidding me," Renji said. "He's still alive?"

"Die!" Luppi yelled.

* * *

Toshiro stayed by Grimmjow to ensure that he could not escape.

"You don't really think you've won, do you?" Grimmjow asked, speaking so softly that Toshiro had to lean closer than he would have liked to hear him.

"Go ahead. Bring me to the Soul Society. Let them dissect me and learn whatever they want. In the end, you're still gonna die."

"You're not exactly in the position to be making threats," Toshiro said.

"Oh, it's not a threat. Just a fact. You haven't seen me at my full power yet, and I was only the sixth Espada. If I'd released my zanpakuto, you'd already be dead.

"And even if you still somehow beat me, one of the other Espada would still kill you. We've got a recent recruit who's way stronger than I am, and also wants you dead way more than even I do. That Espada is obsessed with killing you."

"Why?" Toshiro asked.

Grimmjow grinned despite the agony he was in. "I'm not really sure. Seems you two know each other from somewhere."

'He's got to be trying to get in my head,' Toshiro thought. 'There's no way any Espada could hate me that much. Only the Grand Fisher wanted me dead that badly, and I killed him.'

"And Aizen, his power is beyond your comprehension," Grimmjow continued. "Why do you think hollows as powerful as the Espada serve him in the first place? It's because he's stronger than all of us combined."

"No matter how strong you get or who you beat, there will always be someone stronger."

"Maybe," Toshiro said, "but you won't be there to see it."

A bright light suddenly made Toshiro squint, and the ice holding Grimmjow's hand and legs shattered. Something small and fast shot past his face.

Reacting on instinct, Toshiro raised his sword -

And found himself pointing his blade directly at a teenage girl with long, strawberry blonde hair.

"Orihime?" he asked in shock.

'Oh my god,' he thought. 'If I hadn't stopped myself in time … '

He looked at his shaking sword hand, which was still pointed directly at his friend.

'Come on. Why won't you go down?'

Hyorinmaru would not budge. It wanted to attack Orihime, thinking she had attacked them first.

Toshiro looked up at Orihime, who was walking up to him and Grimmjow, ignoring the way her friend kept his sword pointed at her chest.

"What are you doing here, Orihime?" Toshiro asked. It was taking all of his willpower to keep Hyorimaru from launching an ice dragon at her.

Ignoring him, Orihime looked down at Grimmjow with a sad expression.

"Shun'ou…Ayame. Soten Kishun. I reject."

An orange energy field enveloped Grimmjow. Almost immediately, the burns Toshiro had inflicted on him began to heal and disappear, and the hole in his hand began to close.

"What are you doing?" Toshiro yelled.

Grimmjow chuckled as he slowly regained the strength to sit up. "Well, well," he said, his voice having returned to normal. "Looks like what was yours is now ours."

Toshiro stared in shock and horror as Orihime healed every injury Grimmjow had received that day.

As soon as Grimmjow was able to stand, a beam of yellow light show down from the sky, enveloping both the Arrancar and Orihime.

Elsewhere, similar beams of yellow light enveloped the other Arrancar, ending their fights prematurely.

"No … " Toshiro said softly. He reached out, but he knew there was no way he could reach Orihime when she was within the negacion.

As she and Grimmjow were slowly lifted into the air, Orihime finally turned to look at Toshiro.

"I'm sorry" was all she said, silent tears running down her face.

Toshiro watched as they were lifted into a tear in the sky. He dropped his sword as the tear closed.

They were gone.

Toshiro fell to his hands and knees. He was breathing heavily and his eyes stayed wide open.

"Orihime ... "


	34. Chapter 34

Aizen leaned to the side on his throne as the five Arrancar entered with a guest.

"Ah, welcome," he said in a pleasant tone. "This is Las Noches, our palace."

"Your name is Orihime Inoue, it that correct?"

"Yes," Orihime answered nervously.

Aizen's throne was raised far above the rest of the throne room, allowing him to look down at the Arrancar while they were forced to look up at him.

"I'm sorry to rush you, Orihime," Aizen said, "but I'd appreciate it if you showed me your power."

Orihime nodded.

"Of course, there are some who are not happy with my decision to bring you here to Hueco Mundo." Aizen looked down at the four Arrancar who stood in front of Orihime. "Isn't that right, Luppi?"

The black-haired Espada looked down and to the side in frustration. "Yes, of course I don't like it. All of our battles meant nothing. It was all nothing more than a diversion so that we could bring this girl here! It just makes me disgusted with her."

"It must be frustrating," Aizen said, "to have faced such weak opponents and failed to kill a single one of them. Did you know that the girl who froze your arms was not even a ranked officer?"

Aizen sat up. "Oh, I know what we should do. Orihime, demonstrate your power for us. I want you to heal Grimmjow's left arm."

Orihime turned to the blue-haired Arrancar, who was standing in the back as befitted his status below the Espada. She had healed him completely earlier, but the scars he had received in his first fight with Toshiro remained and his arm was still missing.

"Impossible!" Luppi yelled. "That's crazy, Lord Aizen. It can't be done! Director-General Tousen reduced Grimmjow's arm to ashes. How can she possibly heal something that doesn't exist? She's not a god!"

Orihime walked over to Grimmjow and looked at his empty sleeve.

"Soten Kishun."

Two fairies appeared from the pin on her head, dragging an orange force field around Grimmjow's shoulder and side.

"Now I … I reject … "

"Hey!" Luppi yelled at her. "Are you listening, girl? If you're putting on an act in a pathetic attempt to save your life, you might as well give up now."

He pointed at her in a threatening manner. "Should I see proof that you haven't any power, then there's no reason to keep someone like you – "

Luppi gasped as the top part of Grimmjow's sleeve began to become filled

" – alive?"

A forearm, powerful and muscular, was sticking out of the sleeve now. Within moments, Grimmjow's hand and fingers began to regrow as well.

Grimmjow raised his reformed arm and stared at it in disbelief.

"How?" Luppi demanded, a hint of fear entering his voice. "This goes beyond mere healing. What sorcery is this? What did you do, girl?"

"Don't you understand?" Aizen spoke softly, but his voice carried as if he had screamed. "Ulquiorra thinks that it's temporal or special regression."

"But that's impossible!" Luppi protested. "No human can have such advanced power!"

"While both ideas are interesting theories, it is neither one, temporal or special," Aizen continued. "It rejects all forms of phenomenon."

"Her power limits, rejects, and negates what has happened to an object. She has the power to return things to the state they existed in before events changed them. It exceeds temporal or special regression. Effortlessly, it overcomes the limits of all established phenomena. It knows no borders or barriers. In fact, it overcomes the limitations set by gods."

Grimmjow was not paying attention to his leader's explanation. He continued to examine his new arm. It felt exactly the same as the one he'd lost.

"Hey girl," he said, pointing to a scar on his back, "come heal one more thing."

Luppi gasped as Orihime rejected the scar, revealing a large tattoo of the number six on Grimmjow's back.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Grimmjow?" Luppi demanded in a gravelly voice.

Grimmjow turned to Luppi and leered.

He lunged at the Arrancar who had replaced him as the sixth Espada and plunged his reformed hand into Luppi's chest.

Luppi spat out blood. "You … you bastard …. "

"Your days are done," Grimmjow taunted. He raised his right hand, which was glowing red with the energy of a cero.

"Goodbye, ex-mister sixth Espada."

Grimmjow released the cero inches from Luppi's face.

Orihime reflexively closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw the bottom half of Luppi's body fall to the ground. The rest of it had been completely vaporized.

Orihime looked in horror at the surrounding Arrancar. None of them reacted at all to the cold-blooded murder which had just occurred within their ranks, and Aizen was smiling.

Grimmjow laughed maniacally. "It's back! My power is back! The sixth Espada is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez once more!"

* * *

Toshiro slumped against the wall and collapsed to the floor. Chad stood next to him

Captain Ukitake and the rest of the Shinigami quickly entered the living room to use the giant screen to contact the Soul Society. Rukia was about to enter last, but she stopped in the doorway and looked down at Toshiro.

His arms were wrapped around his knees, pulling them against his chest.

In all the time Rukia had known Toshiro, he had never looked smaller than in that moment.

She bent down in front of him.

"Don't worry," she assured him. "We'll get Orihime back."

Toshiro looked at her, and Rukia was shocked at the fear in his eyes.

"I pointed my sword at Orihime," he said softly. "I almost killed her."

Rukia almost recoiled in shock. Chad did recoil. When they found Toshiro all he had said was that Orihime was gone.

"Why?" Chad asked.

Toshiro looked away.

They looked up as Ukitake opened the living room door.

"The Head Captain wants to speak to you."

The Shinigami stared intently as Toshiro entered the room with his head bowed down and his shoulders slumped.

'I've never seen him like this before,' Renji thought, 'not even when Captain Kuchiki stabbed him and left with Rukia. He looks completely defeated.'

Toshiro stopped in front of the large screen, not bothering to look at Head Captain Yammamoto's face.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya," Yammamoto said, "I want you to tell me everything that occurred during your confrontation with the Arrancar known as Grimmjow Jaegerjaque."

Rukis saw Toshiro's fist clench tightly before he began his explanation.

"I encountered Grimmjow over the city. He was missing an arm, which I assumed was cut off by Aizen as punishment for disobeying orders. When I saw that I sought to capture Grimmjow so he could be brought back to the Soul Society for interrogation and examination. Using my Bankai, I struck him with a sustained burst of lightning until he could no longer fight back, and imprisoned him in ice."

Toshiro stopped and took a deep breath. He had already left out the detail about his mask.

"Do not stall!" Yammamoto said angrily when Toshiro did not continue. "Do not try to hide Orihime Inoue's treachery from us!"

Chad's eyes widened Rukia gasped, and Toshiro gritted his teeth at the head captain's accusations.

"Captain Ukitake examined the scene of your fight. He founded traces of Orihime Ionue's reiatsu and was able to determine that she had used her healing powers. Since you were uninjured the only person she could have healed was the Arrancar!

"Admit it. She attacked you, freed and healed the enemy you had defeated and captured, and then left with the enemy!"

"Head Captain!" Rukia protested. "Forgive my interruption, but I can't subscribe to your interpretation of these events! I know Orihime, and there's no way she would ever do such a thing. There must be an explanation."

"That's your defense," Yammamoto asked, "your friendship with the girl? Why don't you ask your captain about his friendship with Sosuke Aizen?"

Rukia looked at Ukitake for support, but he looked away with a sad expression. "It's true. I thought of Aizen as a close friend. I never could have imagined that he or Tousen would betray us."

Renji stepped forward. "I understand what you're saying, Head Captain. Therefore, as a member of the advanced troops, and because I am the lieutenant of Squad Six, I will head to Hueco Mundo to bring the traitor Orihime Inoue back to her senses."

Toshiro and Renji looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Renji's idea was their only chance to salvage anything from this situation.

Yammamoto slammed his cane on the ground. "You must not!"

"With this new information, we now know that the Arrancars are ready for battle. In addition, for the last month Captain Ukitake's advanced squad has been based out of the home of a traitor. You cannot remain there. All members of the advanced squad are to return immediately and defend the Soul Society."

"Are you saying that we are to abandon Orihime?" Rukia asked.

"I am. We cannot put the safety of the entire world at risk just to go after one simple human."

"With all due respect, Head Captain," Rukia said defiantly, "I cannot follow that order."

"Unfortunate indeed," Yammamoto said. "I thought that this might happen when I heard Captain Ukitake's report, so I'm glad that I have prepared for it."

A wooden gate appeared at the back of the room, the same gate which the Shinigami had taken Rukia through the night they captured her.

The gate opened, and Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki stepped out.

"Don't fight us," Byakuya said. "We have been ordered to take you back by force if necessary."

Renji and Rukia sighed in defeat.

"And you, Toshiro Hitsugaya," the Head Captain said, "I must order you as well not to attempt a rescue mission. We are going to need your help in the coming battle, and I won't allow you to throw your life away for nothing."

Toshiro finally looked up and glared at Yammamoto.

"I'm not one of your subordinates, Head Captain. You can't order me around."

He looked around at all the Shinigami in the now-cramped room.

 _"Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but we're not risking our necks for anyone who isn't one of us." Shinji said._

 _Toshiro glared at Shinji for what seemed an eternity._

 _"Then I guess I'm not one of you."_

 _Orihime looked down at Grimmjow with a sad expression._

 _"Shun'ou…Ayame. Soten Kishun. I reject."_

 _An orange energy field enveloped Grimmjow. Almost immediately, the burns Toshiro had inflicted on him began to heal and disappear, and the hole in his hand began to close._

"If there's one thing I've learned today, it's that I can't count on anyone but myself," Toshiro declared.

Ukitake closed his eyes in sadness, Rukia looked away guiltily, and Chad looked at Toshiro with a horrified expression.

"Go," Toshiro told the Shinigami. "Get out of here."

"All right," Kenpachi said, "let's get moving."

All of the Shinigami began to file into the gate. Rukia entered last.

Before walking through, she turned to Toshiro one last time.

"I'm sorry," she said as the gate closed.

The screen turned off as the gate disappeared, leaving Toshiro and Chad as the sole remaining occupants of the living room.

Chad stared at his small friend for several tense moments of silence.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Toshiro said softly, not bothering to look at Chad.

"Toshiro?"

"I DON"T KNOW!" the boy yelled. "Just leave me alone."

Chad looked down.

"I see," the large teenager said.

He turned to leave, taking one last look at Toshiro before exiting the house.

Now all alone, Toshiro collapsed to his knees again and buried his face in his hands.


	35. Chapter 35

Toshiro sat on the floor of Orihime's living room.

 _"Four of us went up against the whole Soul Society, and we won without losing anyone. This time we'll have a whole army of Shinigami fighting alongside us, and we've got four months to prepare instead of just ten days like last time."_

 _"We're gonna work and train as hard as we can so that when Aizen and his Arrancar show up, we'll make him regret the day he decided to mess with us."_

That had been his promise to Orihime. But in a matter of hours, Aizen had somehow undone it all. From an army, they were reduced to two, Toshiro and Chad.

'What now?'

* * *

Were it not for the bars on the window, there would be nothing to suggest that the room was in fact a prison cell.

The room was spacious, about as large as a small house. But besides for the fancy red carpet and the bed it was completely empty.

It was also dark, with the only light coming through the window.

Orihime knelt in the crescent moonlight beneath the window.

'I was told to stay quiet in here,' she thought, 'but there's nothing for me to do. And I'm so hungry.'

She recalled the horror on Toshiro's face when he saw her appear to save Grimmjow, the way his little body shook as he struggled to comprehend her actions.

'I can't help but wonder if it was a good idea for me to come here. But I couldn't let them …'

She shook her head. 'No. I have to make them think that I'm of use to them. At least until everyone is prepared for the coming battle.'

"Orihime Inoue."

Orihime gasped and turned around. Ulquiorra Cifer was standing in the doorway to her cell, holding a white dress.

"I have brought you new clothes," the pale Espada said. "Now that you are one of us, you should dress the part."

"One of you?" Orihime whispered in fear.

Ulquiorra entered the cell and set the dress on the bed. He then turned to look at Orihime again.

"I thought you should know, we've received intelligence from the world of the living."

Orihime took a deep breath to keep herself from trembling.

"It seems that the Soul Society has withdrawn all Shinigami from Karakura Town, leaving Toshiro Hitsugaya all alone."

Orihime gasped. "No."

"Now that boy's defeat is certain,"Ulquiora declared, "and it's all thanks to you."

* * *

Toshiro had no idea how long he just sat there. For all he knew it might have been days. He remained motionless, going over the last battle in his head to tr to see what he had missed.

He almost didn't notice when the front door to Orihime's house opened and a short-haired girl entered.

She turned to enter the living room and stopped.

"Why am I not surprised?" she said, glaring daggers at him.

"Tatsuki?" Toshiro asked in surprise. His eyes widened at the site of the neck brace she wore.

"Where's Orihime?" Tatsuki demanded.

"So you can see me," Toshiro observed softly, ignoring her question.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tatsuki yelled.

"Tell me what the hell is going on, Toshiro. I was on my way to meet Orihime when that pale freak from the park grabbed me by the neck."

Toshiro gasped.

 _"Come with me, Orihime Inoue."_

 _Orihime froze. A lump formed in her throat as she slowly turned to face the figure which had appeared behind her._

 _'The one from before,' she realized, remembering the day Yammi beat them all up in the park._

 _"No one is coming to help you," Ulquiorra Cifer said. "I have kept my reiatsu hidden, and your friends are all busy with their own battles."_

 _The Espada was partially hidden in shadow as he spoke. He stepped forward, and Orihime's eyes widened in shock and terror at what she saw._

" _Tatsuki!"_

 _Ulquiorra was holding an unconscious Tatsuki by the neck._

" _You will come with me, or this girl dies."_

Toshiro's hands clenched in anger.

"Ulquiorra …" he said, drawing out the last syllable.

The temperature in the living room dropped significantly and the walls became covered in a layer of frost as Toshiro finally stood up.

Tatsuki shivered, but she refused to back down. "I woke up in the hospital with this neck brace, but I can feel it. Orihime's gone."

Toshiro closed his eyes and replayed his fight with Grimmjow in his mind. He could picture Ulquiorra standing behind a corner with his reiatsu hidden, still holding Tatsuki as Orihime carried out his orders.

"I know you're involved somehow, Toshiro. I've seen you and Orihime fighting those things together. Now tell me everything!"

"Why didn't I see it sooner?" Toshiro said, becoming angry at himself as he opened his eyes again. "The hostage ploy is the oldest trick in the book."

"Hostage?" Now Tatsuki was shaking with rage in addition to shivering. "You mean they used me to get to Orihime? Why?"

Toshiro looked up with her. For the first time since Orihime's abduction, his face showed resolve.

"I'm getting her back," he declared.

"Fine," Tatsuki said. "And I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

"Come on! You know how tough I am! I can help!"

Toshiro's eyes narrowed. "The fact that you're still alive can mean only one thing. They wanted you to tell me this now. It's a trap, and Orihime's the bait."

'And I've got no way of contacting the Soul Society to tell she's not a traitor,' he realized.

Tears began to gather in Tatsuki's eyes.

"Even if you weren't already hurt, it's far too dangerous for you."

He began to walk past her. "I _will_ get Orihime back."

"Wait!" Tatsuki yelled. "Orihime's my fr-"

She grabbed Toshiro's shoulder as he passed and immediately collapsed to her knees. She clutched her arm which had gone numb from cold.

Toshiro looked down at her with a sad expression. "That was a tiny fraction of my power. If you can't stand up to that, you won't be able to survive even being in the presence of the people who took Orihime."

"And Orihime?" Tatsuki asked. "She can survive that?"

"She's a lot tougher than you think," Toshiro said before walking out.

* * *

'I'd hoped never to see this place again,' Toshiro thought.

He sighed as he approached the store. It looked just like he remembered it.

"Well, well, look who's come back," a familiar voice said.

"Betrayed by his friend, abandoned by his allies, all alone, the Heavenly Guardian now seeks the help of the person he hates most in the world."

"Aizen has overtaken you in that regard, Urahara," Toshiro said. "As have some of his flunkies. But I wouldn't be here if I had any other choice."

The man known as Mr. Hat and Clogs stepped out of his shop.

"You already know why I'm here. I need to get into Hueco Mundo, and you're the only one who can get me there."

"I can," Urahara admitted. "But are you sure about this? It will be incredibly difficult and dangerous."

"I was willing to take on the entire Soul Society to rescue Rukia," Toshiro said. "I can't do any less for Orihime. It's the right thing."

"Very well."

Urahara turned around and Toshiro followed him into the shop.

"There is a difference between this situation and Rukia's" Urahara said as they walked. "Rukia was going to be executed for her crime. But Orihime will be useless to them if they kill her. Bait is worthless dead. You're risking your life to save someone who may not need saving."

"I've considered that," Toshiro replied. "The first thing Aizen did after he got the Hogyoku from Rukia was order one of his men to kill her. He disposes of people the moment they're no longer of any use to him. If I don't go, eventually he'll decide Orihime is useless as a hostage and just kill her."

"Very well," Urahara said, opening the trapdoor to his underground training room. "But you won't be going alone."

"What?"

Toshiro leapt down the ladder to find Chad waiting for him.

The two comrades smiled at each other.

"I thought I'd find you here," Toshiro said.

Urahara climbed down the ladder. "Chad came here straight from Orihime's house. He's been waiting for you this whole time."

"I knew you'd come here eventually," Chad said.

"And there's one other person here," Urahara said.

Toshiro turned and his eyes widened.

Sitting on a rock in his familiar white uniform was Uryu Ishida.

"It's been a long time, Toshiro," the Quincy said.

Toshiro laughed a little and sat down.

"What's the matter?" Uryu asked. "Is it that surprising that I'd be here too?"

"I'm sorry," Toshiro said. "It's just – after everything that's happened it's great to finally have some good news."

Uryu's eyes narrowed. "You knew. You knew all along I had lost my powers, but you didn't say anything out of respect for my pride as a Quincy."

"But it seems you've got them back," Toshiro observed.

"Indeed, and not a moment too soon, it would appear."

Toshiro stood up, his expression turning serious. "I'm grateful for the help, but this is going to be much more dangerous than when we went to the Soul Society. Then we were dealing with people who were misguided, but basically good. They could be reasoned with, even if it required bashing their heads in first. The people who have Orihime are not like that. They are truly evil, and they can't be reasoned with."

"We both understand that," Uryu said.

"Orihime is our friend," Chad added. "As are you. That's all that matters. You can count on us."

"All right," Toshiro said. "There's one other problem."

He scowled, remembering how it was Orihime who brought the issue to his attention.

 _"Oh, it wasn't that hard. I just looked for the coldest reiatsu in town."_

"I have a very distinctive reiatsu. Even when I'm hiding it, I give off a cold presence that will be felt by anyone looking for it. Knowing this I was not going to sneak around, but take a direct approach to challenging the Espada. But if we're going as a group, that is not an option."

"Do you really think you can take on all ten Espada at the same time?" Uryu asked.

"Under the right conditions," Toshiro said. "Even then, the risk to Orihime might be too great. As it is right now, neither option is viable."

"I may have something that can help with that," Urahara said.

Tessai approached, holding several grey items of clothing.

"These are special cloaks I developed over a century ago. They completely hide a person's reiatsu, even one as large as yours, Toshiro. With this you should be able to move about and even fight without anyone being able to sense you."

"I see," Toshiro said, taking the top cloak. "That's – that's a tremendous help."

Uryu and Chad also took a cloak for themselves and put them on.

"We should take an extra one for Orihime," Toshiro said. "With these we might be able to sneak in and out of there without needing to fight anyone."

"Why don't you take an extra three?" Urahara asked. "In case one of the ones you're wearing now tears."

"I can carry the extras," Uryu said.

"I have just one word of caution," Urahara said gravely. "The cloaks have been tested in a variety of conditions, but they have not been tested for Bankai or Hollowiification. I can't guarantee that they will work if you use any form above your Shikai."

"Understood," Toshiro said. "If that's everything, then I think we're ready to go."

"Right." Urahara led them to a pair of cliffs with large wooden beams sticking out of them.

"It's time," he said, leaping on the top of one of the beams.

He put his cane on the wooden surface of the beam and knelt down on one knee. The cane began to glow with a blue light.

"Here in my right hand the stone that connects the worlds. In my left hand the blade that binds existence. The shepherd with black hair. The chair of the noose. I strike the abyss where the clouds gather."

The blue light enveloped the beam Urahara was kneeling on completely before shooting out to the other beam. A tear formed in the fabric in reality between the two beams, revealing a black, formless void.

"This hole that the Arrancars come and go through is known as the Garganta," Urahara explained. "There is no solid ground beyond this point, only a chaos of reishi. Each of you must create his own path out of that reishi. Go towards the darkness and we will arrive in Hueco Muendo."

Toshiro looked up at him.

"Urahara, I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Rukia," he said, "but I am grateful for the help you've provided us today."

"Don't mention it," Urahara said. "Just make sure you come back alive. We're all counting on you."

Toshiro looked into the Garganta with a steely expression. "I will. We all will."

"Let's go!"

Toshiro, Uryu and Chad leapt through the portal and into the void.

* * *

 _Author's note: Sorry for the wait with this chapter. There was a long period where I couldn't write because of a move and because I didn't have access to the episodes anymore, and when I was able to write again I got major writers block for this chapter. But it's back again now. I'll try to update all my stories regularly for the foreseeable future._


End file.
